The Gathering
by happycabbage
Summary: Harry's parents were Elves. Now he is the last of his kind. But Voldemort is growing stronger, and only the ancient magic of The Gathering can stop him. AU, nonhumanOCs, manip!Dumbledore ON HIATUS, STATUS PENDING
1. The Last of my Kind

Author's Note: (sigh) I reeeally should work on the ones I've already got posted instead of working on new ones. Once again, random floaty thoughts. Dunno what all will be in this, though as usual there's gonna be language and violence. Not sure about other stuff just yet. Oh, and this is AU.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is JKRowlings…Duh.

I hope you like it, and if you don't it's not my problem, so don't bother flaming me. I'll just use flames to make toast…or…something…moo

_Writing like this_ is Harry's thoughts and/or stuff he is reading.

JK never said the names of James parents that I can recall, but the few times I've found them on here, they were referred to as Henry and Alanna, so those are the names I will be using.

I recently read through the first couple chapters in this story to get over my writer's block so I could finish up chapter four, and I almost cried when I saw how many mistakes and hard-to-understand parts there were. So I went back and edited, tweaking a few sections to make it flow better and make more sense.

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The Gathering

Ch 1) The Last of My Kind

_Well, this stinks…_

Harry was not having the best birthday. He had been woken by his aunt screeching at him to get breakfast started through the door. He'd had a stiff neck from falling asleep at his desk waiting for midnight, as was his custom the eve before his birthday every year. He was also a little confused that the usual pack of owls wasn't there yet. Generally Hedwig and several other owls arrived promptly at midnight with all his birthday greetings from his friends. He'd come to love and look forward to the one time during the holidays when he actually felt at home. Locked into his room at midnight with only a pack of owls and a stack of letters from his friends as company, but home nonetheless.

After breakfast was over, his uncle announced that they, the Dursleys, that is, were all going out for the day – _Yes!_ – and gave Harry a long list of difficult chores to do before they returned – _Dammit!_ – and if he didn't complete them, he would, to quote Uncle Vernon, "be in some really deep shit."

He had finished the chores, but was still putting away the cleaning supplies when the Dursleys pulled up in the driveway past ten at night, so he was told to go to his room without dinner and if he came out before the next morning he'd, once again, "be in some really deep shit." They didn't even allow him to take a shower to rinse off the sweat and grime.

Harry shut his bedroom door, his stomach growling, and flopped down on his bed without looking up. His head was killing him, and he was hoping to fall asleep and ease the pain somewhat.

Hedwig gave a loud hoot, and Harry groaned and covered his head with his pillow. "Quiet, girl, my head hurts and you're not helping."

Another hoot. "Stop it!"

Hoot hoot.

Harry jerked his head out from under the pillow and glared at his owl. "WOULD YOU SHUT – oh." Two other owls besides Hedwig were sitting on his desk as well as several letters and packages. One of the owls he recognized as Errol, the Weasley's owl, and the other was Ron's midget-owl, Pig.

"Sorry for yelling." Harry said sheepishly. Hedwig blinked her amber eyes at him and turned her head away, apparently amused by Harry's antics. Errol just looked at him blearily and hopped over to Hedwig's cage for a drink of water, while Pig started flying madly in circles over Harry's head, twittering crazily.

Harry got up from his bed and dragged himself to his desk, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. He opened the first letter and started reading, snatching Pig out of midair without even looking up from the letter. It was from Ron.

_Hiya Harry!_

_Happy Birthday! I really hope the Muggles are treating you alright. Do you want me to hex them for you if they aren't? Mum and Dad also wanted me to ask if you can spend the rest of the summer holiday at Grimmauld Place with us. Send Pig back with your answer as soon as you can, alright?_

_-Ron_

Harry put the letter down. He didn't really want to go back to Grimmauld Place. Too many memories of Sirius. He just wasn't ready to face it yet.

Sighing, he turned to the package. Opening it he found a sturdy leather belt with slots to hold vials of potions and a holster for a wand, and a few built in pouches for money and other small nessecities. In effect, it was the wizarding equivalent of a utility belt.

Grinning now, Harry set aside the belt and reached for the next package, this from Hagrid. He opened it to find a scrawled birthday greeting and a box of some of Hagrid's homemade sweets. He decided to wait till later to try and see which were edible and which were not.

The next package was from Hermione. It contained an extremely long letter and a present. The present was, predictably, a book. To be specific, it was a book called Advanced Defense Methods Against Advanced Dark Wizards and Creatures. _Cool._ He thought, smiling down at the book,_ now if only my head would stop hurting…_

Errol had brought him a birthday cake and a gift of homemade chocolate chip cookies from Ron's mum and the other Weasleys, and a package of goods from the twins' joke shop.

While he was opening his gifts, his headache was getting steadily worse. Setting aside the box from Fred and George very carefully (he didn't want to set anything off by accidentally dropping it) he sighed heavily and leaned his head down on the desk, closing his eyes for a few minutes. He idly wondered how late it was now, and propped his head up on his hand and glanced at his clock. It was getting close to midnight, only twenty minutes or so.

Harry looked balefully out his window, letting his head rest on his arms. Why couldn't he have a simply nice birthday with no chores or drama for once?

Hary was so absorbed in his musings that it took him a moment to realize there was a large black shape flying in his direction. Harry watched it carefully for a second before recognizing it as an owl, and stepped back from the window to allow it passage into his room. The iron-grey owl was enormous; it could barely fit through the window. Too big to sit on the desk, it landed on Harry's bed and, after stretching it's wings once, folded them up and sat stock-still without moving. Except for it's orange eyes, which stared at Harry unblinking, it could've been a statue.

Harry stared first at the massive owl, then at the package and large envelope it had brought him. Hesitantly, he reached out and picked up the letter. It was thick and heavy. He didn't recognize the handwriting the address was written in. He turned it over and opened it pulling out a letter and another, smaller envelope. He looked at the second envelope in confusion before turning to the letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday. I realize you are probably a little confused as to why I would be writing to you. It's because I have something of great importance to tell you before midnight on your birthday. You'd better read this before then._

Harry glanced at the clock. Lucky the letter wasn't too long. He went back to reading.

_The second envelope I have enclosed with this letter was given to me by James and Lily to give to you on your sixteenth birthday should anything happen to them. Be sure you read that letter before midnight as well. They explain everything in there, including why it is I who was entrusted with that letter, and not Remus, or Sirius, or the Headmaster. No, I did not read the letter. Lily told me when she gave it to me what was in it._

_I also would like to apologize for the way I have treated you over the past five years. I did not mean to hurt you. I cannot explain all this very well in a letter, so we will discuss this face to face soon enough. All I can tell you at this time is that I am sorry._

_I have also included along with these letters some things that I believe you should have. Read the letter from your mother before opening your present. Consider them my birthday present of the last fifteen years to you. Their value covers about that much, and then some; they're pretty much priceless. Do try not to lose or break them._

_Sincerely,_

Severus Snape 

Harry stared at the name on the letter._ Snape_? His least favorite teacher, the greasy git, the bitter old potions master who had hated Harry for five years because of who his parents were, sent him a civil, even pleasant, letter, called he, his parents, and his godfather, all by their first names, delivered a letter from his parents that they had entrusted him with, and gave him a birthday present? An apparently extremely valuable present? Who was this person and what had they done with Snape? This had to be some sort of trick, perhaps come up with by Voldemort?

Merlin, he wished his head would stop hurting.

He glanced at the clock and saw he had about fifteen minutes to midnight. He might as well get started on the letter that was supposedly from his parents. He picked up the envelope and could already feel how old the parchment was. It was yellowed with age, and the blue ink the address was written in was faded.

_To my darling son Harry, on his 16th birthday, wherever that may find him._

A flicker of doubt made him pause. What if it wasn't a trick? He wished he could use his wand to examine the letters for any curses or other spells. That would be a hint as to their true nature. Should he wait, maybe, until someone had a chance to check it over for him? But, then, if this was for real, then he _needed _to read it now, before it was too late. He decided to just read the letter, and then try to decide whether this was a hoax or not.

As he went to open it, it occurred to him that if this was for real, he would be reading something that his parents had written. His fingers trembling slightly, Harry turned the envelope over and carefully opened it. The letter inside was on as old of paper as the envelope was. Harry opened the folded piece of parchment, revealing more of the same firm, flowing script as on the address.

_My dearest Harry,_

_Hello, my son, and Happy 16th Birthday. If you are reading this letter, then that means that something has happened to James and me, and we are no longer with you. I just hope that your godfather Sirius is there to take care of you. _

_We are leaving this letter in the care of a certain Severus Snape. I am not sure if you know him very well, as I am not there to be sure that you two meet, but I can assure you that he is a good man, and if you ever need help with anything, you can trust him. It is part of his duty._

_I have something of great importance to tell you, love. Something that concerns your heritage, which should come into play tonight at midnight. Please do not be too upset with me for this. Harry, I am not human._

The letter dropped from his hands. Harry sat unmoving in shock, blinking down at the paper at his feet. His mother wasn't human? He was certain now that this had to be a joke.

He reached down to the floor and picked up the letter, moving to throw it into the trash can next to his desk, but stopped. His mother…even if he doubted the letter's integrity, if there was the slightest chance that this was really from his mother, he owed it to here to at least finish reading it.

Slowly, he turned his eyes back down to the text, finding the spot where he had left off and continuing to read.

_I know it's probably a bit of a shock, and I beg of you, please hear me out. I am not human. Neither is your father. We are Elves. Not house-elf type elves, but real Elves. We are human-like in appearance, but not completely. Elves appear totally human until they turn sixteen. As today is your sixteenth birthday, your Elven blood will make itself known at midnight, and you will change. Not too much, but you will be noticably not human. You will be faster, stronger, and have more stamina then you did before. Your eyesight will be equivalent to that of an eagle, and you will be able to hear as good as a wolf can. Your ears will be pointed, and the irises of your eyes will have a slight glow to them when you experience a powerful emotion, such as when you are angry. You can move in complete silence if you want to, which makes it very easy to avoid people if you don't want them to notice you. Stealth can be very handy at times._

_Another thing you should take into consideration is your Elven classification. I am a Wood Elf, while James is a High Elf, though really the only difference between the different classifications is our magical abilities. I, as a Wood Elf, can speak with trees and nonmagical creatures. James is a High Elf, so he has fairly decent divination skills. You, Harry, are a Night Elf. As such, you are gifted with the ability to turn invisible and incorporeal at will. That is to say, you can make it so that your body can pass through solid objects, much like a ghost. You can also turn other objects near you incorporeal. The closer you are to the object, the easier it will be. Normally our abilities do not reveal themselves until we come of age at sixteen, which is also when our other Elvish characteristics come into play as well. After your body transforms, it may take some time before you can completely control your abilities, so be careful you don't accidentally turn yourself incorporeal without realizing it._

_Another thing, wizards, as you know, are very long-lived. Their life-span is roughly three times as long as a Muggle's is. While Elves, contrary to popular belief, are not immortal, we are much longer lived than wizards. Enough that, to a wizard, we seem immortal. We can be killed by injuries or illnesses. We are, however, granted with eternal youth. Long life can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it. Look well, my son._

_Now that you know what is going to happen to you physically, I guess I should explain myself. As I said before, your father and I are Elves. The last Elves, to be exact. I was adopted when I was an infant by my human family. You know them as the Evans family. When they adopted me, they were given a letter from my biological parents to give to me on my sixteenth birthday, much as I am doing for you. Remember, Elven children look human until they turn sixteen, so I never knew I was an Elf until my sixteenth birthday either. The letter explained who I was and about my heritage. Our heritage. The story is much the same for your father, though he was adopted by a wizarding family, the Potters._

_When James and I were born, the Elves, our people, were at war with an Elf by the name of Donovan. He was completely insane, thinking that his people were evil and the earth would be better of to be rid of us. He was on the rampage, killing the Elves where he found them, man, woman and child. _

_When my parents had me, they were frightened for my safety. They put me into a muggle orphanage for my protection, with only a letter to tell me of my heritage. When Mum and Dad (my adoptive parents, not my biological ones) gave me the letter, they said they had promised to make sure I got it. I managed to contact someone at the orphanage I was adopted from, and they told me what they had on record about my biological parents. Their names were Amalthea and Tobias Rush. All they wanted was that I be adopted and be given a new name. They wanted me to be totally anonymous. The only person allowed to be told my true name was to be myself, should I want to find out. Not even my adoptive parents were to know my true name. I wasn't to be told of my adoption until age sixteen. Whoever adopted me was required to tell me on my sixteenth birthday and give me the letter. My true name is Andreanna Rush._

_James was left in a wizarding orphanage with no name or letter or any form of identification at all. He was adopted by the Potters, who gave him his name. The only thing the people from the orphanage knew about him was that the people who left him there were Elves, claimed not to be his parents, and asked that he be placed in a caring home where he would be safe. To this day, we have no knowledge of who his biological parents were._

_With our being totally anonymous, I surmise that my parents and James' caretakers were hopeful that would be enough to protect us from Donovan. It was. He died several years later fighting against the last known Elf, Willis, the prince of our people. Unfortunately, Willis died of his wounds sustained in the fight shortly afterwards. Donovan had succeeded in his mission, eradicating the world of the Elvish people. The Elves have not been seen or heard from since. The wizards have assumed that the Elves are extinct. From what I know, except for James, you, and me, they are. We are the very last of our kind. Donovan was worse than Voldemort, and that is saying something. Unless there were others like us, hidden in the Muggle world, away from magic, it is likely that we are the last true Elves. _

_Harry, if you are reading this letter, than James and I are gone. And if we are gone, then that means that you are the last Elf. You are all that is left of our great people. I am sorry that I was not there for you._

_I said earlier in this letter that it was Severus' duty to help you if you need it. I am about to explain why. Severus is not a human either. He is a Tourniquet. Your Tourniquet. The Tourniquets are a race of beings whose purpose is to teach and protect the Elves. A sort of fairy godparent, if you will. They are required to protect, teach, and comfort you when you need it. Each Tourniquet is assigned the protection of one Elf child. Severus was assigned to you. Severus will help you learn to use your powers as an Elf, and teach you more about your heritage. Tourniquet's spell casting abilties are somewhat limited; they do much better with potions and other such things that do not require wands to do. Severus always specialized in potions in particular. He will protect you, even if it means his own life will be forfeit. My own Tourniquet died defending me from Voldemort a few monthes before you were born. James' Tourniquet fell defending us not two weeks ago. He was a good man, and as loyal a friend as I have ever known. I can only hope that you and Severus will be as good of friends as I was with Trista, my Tourniquet. She was my best friend, like a sister to me._

_The morning after your transformation, you should receive a letter from the Tourniquet Council with a portkey attached. It will bring you to the Tourniquets' stronghold, where your Tourniquet, Severus, will be waiting to join you. You can trust the Council. They may even know if there are others of our kind left._

_Hopefully Severus will have made sure that this letter gets to you before midnight on your sixteenth birthday. Trust him, and have faith, my son. I pray that you will do well in life and be happy, even if I am no longer here to see it. I love you, Harry._

_My love forever,_

_Mum_

_P.S. James just told me that if I don't tell you he said hi and that he loves you dearly, he's going to put Wartcap powder in my underwear drawer. Again. Good luck, love._

Harry sat stiffly on the bed after he finished reading the letter. The large iron-grey owl blinked at him and hooted softly. Harry looked up at it. "This is a joke, right? Please tell me it's a joke."

The owl just hooted softly again, and looked pointedly at the large box wrapped in black wrapping paper. Harry sighed and untied the package from the owls foot. The owl blinked at Harry, stretched its wings, and flew off into the night while Harry slowly and quietly took the wrapping paper off the present. It was a large wooden box, obviously charmed to keep it from being so heavy, or the owl wouldn't have been able to lift it. He took the lid off the box and gasped at what he found.

Inside were two beautiful daggers, their hilts encrusted with jewels, the blades sheathed inside matching, intricately designed, leather scabbards. He lifted one of the daggers out of the box and pulled the scabbard off, revealing the shining silver blade. The blade of the dagger was roughly a foot and a half long, curved slightly and engraved with a light pattern of twining vines and leaves. He couldn't tell what kind of metal the blade was, but some of the gemstones in the hilt he recognized as emeralds and sapphires. The hilt fit his hand perfectly. The blade was the most spectacular weapon Harry had ever seen, including the sword of Godric Gryffindor that he had used to slay the basilisk in his second year.

Harry glanced back down at the box and noticed something sparkling underneath the matching knife. He sheathed the first dagger and took out the second one and laid them of to the side on the bed. He reached back into the box, pulling out a heavy pendant, a large ruby encircled with wrought gold and silver on a long silver chain. Attached to it was a note.

It read:

_Harry,_

_I realize this must be quite a shock for you, and I know if I were you, I'd probably be wondering who had come up with such an elaborate prank. If you wish to be assured of this being true, push down on the bottom of this box towards the back to open a secret compartment. I've charmed it so it only will open for you. Inside will be a penseive with some memories that should prove this to you. Some are my own, others are copies of James' and Lily's that they gave to me with the letter. _

_The daggers are of elven craftsmenship. There is no finer weaponry in the world than that made by elves, and not much is left of the elven craftsmens' work. _

_The pendant belonged to your mother's Tourniquet, Trista. I want you to have it._

_Once again, Happy Birthday._

_-Severus_

For a moment Harry wondered why Snape would have something belonging to his mother's Tourniquet in his possestion. Shaking off the thought, he reached into the box and pulled out the thin cushion on the bottom, then went to check for the secret compartment. Before he could even touch the box though, he felt a spasm jerk through his whole body.

Startled, his eyes darted over at the clock. It was midnight. Was the letter for real, then? Could this be the beginning of the changes? He bit his lip as he felt another spasm seize hold of his muscles. Harry collapsed onto the floor and lay writhing as the spasms came again and again. Merlin, the pain! He could feel his body changing, and it hurt, dammit! He couldn't do anything to stop or even dull the pain. He could taste blood in his mouth from where he was biting his lip to keep from screaming.

After what seemed like hours, there was one last spasm, worse than all the others, and Harry couldn't stop the pained gasp that slipped from his mouth. He lay gasping on the floor, waiting for the next spasm. It didn't come. He looked up and glanced at the clock. 12:01. It had only been a minute!

He lay there for several moments, just taking in long, deep breathes while he tried to recover from the ordeal. Finally, he slowly and painfully sat up, scooting over until his back rested against the bed. He refused to look in a mirror and see if he looked any different until he had seen proof that it wasn't a prank of some sort.

He didn't even notice that the old pair of Dudley's jeans he was wearing were now, rather than being too long as they had been when he put them on, about three inches too short.

He did, however, notice that his glasses just made his vision blurry now. His fingers shaking, he took them off and the world came back into focus. Harry wondered idly if when the prank was over he could find a spell to fix his eyesight for real.

He pushed down on the bottom of the box near the back, and, just like the note had said, it flipped up to reveal a secret compartment, in which was a smaller version of the pensieve he had seen in Dumbledore's office in his fourth year and in Snape's office in his fifth. He stared at it for a moment before lifting it out and setting it carefully on the desk next to his birthday presents.

He sat down at his desk, staring at the pensieve for several long moments, running over everything he had read in the past half hour in his mind, trying to make some sense of it. What should he do now? Making up his mind, he took a deep breath and leaned his head forward, and his face touched the contents.

He felt himself being pitched forward and landed standing upright next to someone. A girl his age with long red hair. She was sitting cross-legged on a bed in a bedroom, reading a faded letter written on yellowing parchment. There was a trunk at the end of the bed, and there were a few moving photos framed up on the wall. Some random Christmas decorations were scattered across the room, and it was snowing on the other side of the window, lit by the streetlamps outside. Harry slowly walked around the bed so he could see the girl's face. She was beautiful, her green eyes bright as she read her letter.

_Mum…_

She glanced over at a clock on the wall. Harry followed her gaze to the clock, which read 11:59 PM. As he watched, the glowing letters changed to read 12:00 AM, and the teenaged version of his mother gasped aloud. Harry looked on in horror as Lily started spasming just the way he had not ten minutes before.

"Mum!" he cried and jumped forward, cursing as he remembered he was incorporeal here, and therefore unable to help her. He realized this had to be his mother's sixteenth birthday. He stared helplessly down at her as she jerked involuntarily on the bed.

Finally, after the one minute was up, she stopped and lay there, breathing heavily. With a soft cry she jumped to her feet and went to stand in front of the full-length mirror she had on one wall.

Harry went to stand next to her, looking into the mirror at his mother's reflection as well. He shivered slightly; there was no reflection of him in the mirror.

Lily gaped at her reflection and pushed her hair back to touch her newly pointed ears. "It's real…" she whispered faintly. Harry felt everything swirl around him as the memory shifted.

Once the new memory came into focus, Harry found himself sitting in the sitting room of what was clearly a Pureblood home. Sitting on the couch were a middle-aged witch and wizard. They were watching a teenaged boy – who Harry suddenly recognized as James Potter – pacing restlessly around the room. James looked nervous and almost frightened. He stopped pacing and turned to face the two adults.

"Mum…Dad…" So these were Harry's grandparents? He remembered Sirius mentioning that their names were Henry and Alanna, but that was all he knew of them. He surveyed the two of them sitting on the sofa as the watched their son anxiously. "You are absolutely sure? No mistake?"

Henry Potter shook his head. "No, James. No mistakes, no games. Your biological parents were Elves. Making you an Elf as well."

"How can you be sure? Did you meet them?"

"No, sweetie," said his mother. "We never saw them. But the couple who dropped you off at the orphanage were Elves. They said they weren't your parents, but that they knew your parents. They told the staff that your real parents were Elves."

"No! They weren't my real parents! My parents wouldn't just dump me at some orphanage! You two are my parents!"

"Jamie, sweetie, of course we're your parents! Nothing will change that!" Alanna said, distressed.

"Nothing will change that?" he said incredulously, "I just found out I'm not even _human_! And in about five minutes, I won't even _look_ human!"

James collapsed onto the sofa in between his mother and father. "I don't want to be an Elf. I just want to be an ordinary Wizard."

They put their arms around him as he started to cry softly. "Oh, Jamie, I'm so sorry," his father said. "I know you didn't ask for this, but there's nothing we can do about it. You'll just have to adjust and hope for the best. And Sirius and Remus and Peter will be there for you when you return to school. Maybe we can look up some kind of glamour charm – Jamie? You alright, son?"

James had stiffened suddenly. "James? JAMES!" his father yelled and his mother let out a small scream as James suddenly jerked off the couch and started spasming on the floor. His transformation was starting.

Henry and Alanna threw themselves down next to their son, holding his arms and legs down, preventing him from hurting himself as his body underwent the change from human to Elf.

When he finally stopped spasming, James gingerly pulled himself into a sitting position with the help of his parents. Henry lifted James up onto the couch and he leaned back with a groan. He just sat there for a moment, staring at his lap.

"How bad do I look?" he said after a moment, sounding defeated. Henry and Alanna glanced at eachother worriedly over his head. "You don't look bad at all sweetie," Alanna said. "You look fine."

"Do you want to see?" Henry asked softly. James hesitated, then nodded. He stood then, and followed his parents over to the large mirror positioned above the piano. He stepped in front of it and stared at his reflection, moving his head to the side so he could see his ear better. It was pointed. He turned back around to look at his parents. His eyes were glowing, and shown with tears. "Mum? Dad?" he whispered before collapsing. Henry caught him before he hit the floor and carried him over to the couch. As James passed out, the memory ended and the colors shifted around Harry once more.

When it finished shifting Harry found himself standing of to the side of a group of people in a large chamber. Frowning, he stared around the room. Where were they? Hogwarts? It was similar to the castle, but not quite the same.

Harry turned his attention to the group of people standing nearby and was startled to see his mother standing there, with two people, who Harry recognized from the photos his aunt had shown to his cousin as her parents, standing behind her. They were standing in front of a small group of people.

Standing right in front of Lily was a tall lady with black hair and eyes, wearing midnight blue robes. Next to her was an old man with long tangled grey hair dressed in emerald green. On his other side stood another, younger man with blue-black hair and peircing eyes. Standing next to the young man was a scowling sixteen year old…Snape?

It _was _him! Snape, in all his sneering, greasy-haired glory, was standing next to the tall young woman, listening as she spoke to Lily.

"I am Trista, your Tourniquet, dear. When you were discovered, I was chosen to guide you once you came of age and your Elven blood revealed itself. I am here to teach you, help you, protect you from harm, and just look after you in general."

"Okay," Lily said, "So who are they?" she nodded towards the old man and the younger one beside him. "And why is Snape here?"

"Oh, I apologize, Andreanna. This is Romney," she gestured to the old man. He bowed, kissing Lily's hand. "My name isn't Andreanna, it's Lily," she mumbled, blushing slightly.

"Romney is the head of the Tourniquet council. He oversees all appointments of Tourniquets to Elves."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Lily said, blushing even more.

"No, the pleasure is mine, Miss Andreanna." His voice was deep and clear. "You are one of the first Elves we have been able to find for some years now. We were beginning to fear the last of you had all died. I'm so glad that we were mistaken on that point. I just pray you are not the only ones left."

"Er, right," she said uncomfortably, taken aback by his odd method of greeting.

"And I suppose you already know Severus?" Trista said, gesturing to the grumpy boy behind her.

"We've met," he said dryly.

"He is a Tourniquet as well," Trista continued, ignoring the way the teenage Snape was frowning grumpily at Lily. Harry's mother just glared right back at him.

"And this is Vaughn, another Tourniquet."

He nodded his aknowlegement but said nothing. Lily nodded back, and then asked, "Just how many of you are there?"

Trista smiled sadly as Romney answered her. "There aren't many of us left, though a good deal more than the remaining Elves, I'm afraid."

"So, did you have any questions as of yet, Andreanna?"

"Just one. You said I am _one_ of the last Elves you've managed to find. There are others like me?" She asked, looking at Romney.

He opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the doors opening with a bang, permitting three new people came in. The one in front stopped short when he saw the Evans family standing there.

"Lily?"

"James! What are you doing here?"

He shook his head and walked over to her, his parents following. "I honestly have no idea. I just got this letter with a portkey attached. No doubt it has something to do with my Elvish heritage," He added dryly.

Lily looked shocked. "You…wait, you're an Elf too?"

He looked at her then, noticing for the first time her Elvish features. "You mean I'm not the only one? Well, that was certainly unexpected. I found out over the summer. What about you?"

"Just last night. It was my birthday. I got a letter this morning with a portkey saying that they had discovered my heritage and were required to supply me with a mentor."

"I got that same letter this morning too." James said. "Why didn't I get mine when I first found out I was an elf?" He directed this last comment at the Tourniquets standing before him.

"Because, Master James," Romney started, "We hadn't found you yet. We discovered you about three weeks ago. We decided it might be best to assign both of your Tourniquets at the same time. So, we sent your letter a little late so that you two would be able to meet. Apparently you two know one another already?"

"Yes," said Lily, while James nodded in agreement.

Just then James noticed Snape skulking behind the Tourniquets. "What's Snivellus doing here?" he sneered.

"James!" his mother said warningly, and he hung his head. "Sorry, Mum."

Lily just rolled her eyes and turned back to the Tourniquets. James eyed Snape warily. "So why exactly am I here?" he asked Romney, as he appeared to be the leader.

"To meet your Tourniquet. A Tourniquet is a protector and mentor. Trista here is Andreanna's. And I think you'll do well with Vaughn," the old Tourniquet said, gesturing over to the other male Tourniquet at his side.

James and Vaughn sized each other up before greeting one other, warmly on Vaughn's part, warily on James'. "If you ever have any questions, James, just ask me, and I will answer as best as I can," Vaughn said, and James smiled. Then his brow furrowed and he glanced back at Romney. "Who's Andreanna?" he asked.

"He means me," Lily said dryly. "Apparently it's my Elvish name."

"Do I have an Elvish name?" James asked.

"Not that we know of, but if we ever find it out, I will let you know," Vaughn supplied. James nodded to show his understanding.

"Now, I am sure you are both wondering why Severus is here as well?" Trista asked the two Elves, "I told Lily, this before you came, James, but Severus is a Tourniquet as well. As Vaughn and I cannot attend Hogwarts to be with you during school, he will be our means of contact. You can send letters through him, and he can answer your questions just as well as we can. He will be a sort of surrogate Tourniquet for both of you while you are at school."

James looked at him disdainfully, and Snape returned the dirty look with one of his own. "Peachy," James said tiredly.

The image swirled around Harry again as a new memory came up.

This time Harry found himself in what he knew to be a Hogwarts common room, but not any common room that he recognized. It looked like a blend between the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms; green curtains and carpets and couches, dark red walls and cushions, and gold and silver trimmings on almost everything in the room. Harry idly thought that the fact that the whole color scheme really just reminded him strongly of Christmas.

His eyes were drawn to the five teens grouped together on the couches and easy chairs that were situated around the fireplace. There sat his dad, and Sirius and Remus next to each other on the couch, Wormtail sitting on the floor leaning against it. Seated in a large cushy chair close to the fire was Snape.

Judging from the shiny Head Boy badge pinned to James' robes, the five boys were in their seventh year here. They were in good spirits; James, Peter, and Sirius were clutching mugs of butterbeer, and all five teens were laughing.

"Did you see their faces?" Sirius gasped. "I can't believe they actually bought it!"

"Seriously!" James said, wiping tears from his eyes, "You'd think after a year they'd have figured it out by now!"

"Well, we only called a truce at the end of last term," Snape said with a raised eyebrow.

"So?" James snorted. "We never fight anymore, we bloody smiled at one another in the hall the other day, and then today, Sirius and I _defended_ you! In _public!_ By now, the entirety of Hogwarts is either officially stupid, secretly thinks we've all gone mad, or suspect Sev and me of being secret lovers."

The others all groaned and started laughing again.

"Well, at least they don't know about the whole Elf, Tourniquet thing," Sirius said, gesturing wildly with his hands.

Snape smirked at him. "Wow, mutt, that was really eloquent," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up, you." Sirius said, chucking a Chocolate Frog at his head.

"We can be glad they don't know," James said. "Who knows what kind of crap they could come up with with that bit of information."

"They probably would have rumors of James and Severus being together," Remus said smirking.

"And of Severus and Lily being together," added Peter.

"And of course, James, Severus, _and_ Lily being together!" Sirius said grinning wickedly.

James and Snape both turned slightly green at this, but soon they started laughing with everyone else. When they finally caught their breath, James turned to Snape and said, "Sev, you know I love you like a brother, but know that if you touch Lily, you will find your head stuffed down the nearest toilet. Even _think_ about touching me, and I will feed you to the acromantulas and other nasties in the forest."

Snape just flashed the Head Boy his trademark smirk. "Merlin, James you must really think highly of yourself, sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to throw poor, unsuspecting Slytherins to the wild beasts."

James grinned at him triumphantly. "Damn skippy!" The others just laughed.

_They seem so happy together…_Harry thought as he watched his father, godfather, and their friends as they joked and prattled and argued together. They never acted like rivals or enemies at all; the closest they came was Snape calling the others 'idiot Gryffindors' and they in turn calling him a 'slimy Slytherin.'

"Hey Sev? What do the other Tourniquets do?" James asked suddenly. Snape sat up and looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean, James?"

"I mean, you're here learning magic, and Vaughn is my Tourniquet, and Trista is Lily's, but what do all the rest do? If Lily and I are the last Elves, and we have our Tourniquets, what do all the other Tourniquets do? Do they just sit there twiddling their thumbs?"

"Well, as you know, Vaughn and Trista are waiting for you and Lily to graduate and then they'll join you and look after you. The Council rules the rest of us. Some of the other Tourniquets are searching for other Elves that may have been hidden away. Some are searching orphanages all over the world. Others are living lives as normal 'Wizards'. I believe some of us have even started offering their services to other magical beings in need of guidance. A select few are waiting for, in the event that we find another Elf, the chance to become a Chosen Tourniquet."

"What about you, Severus?" Remus asked. "What are you going to do after graduation? You won't have to play babysitter for James and Lily anymore, since they will be free to be with their true Tourniquets. What does the Council want you to do?"

"I know they plan on giving me some extra training so that I can qualify for a potential Chosen Tourniquet. They also want me to get a Mastery and take up a position here at Hogwarts so I can look after any Elf-children that happen to show up here until they get their official Tourniquet."

"So you might get to be a Chosen Tourniquet? Wicked." Remus said grinning.

Sirius laughed then. "Maybe you'll get to be Tourniquet for one of James and Lily's kids!"

They all laughed too then, and the memory with Snivellus and the Marauders laughing together blended into a new one.

Harry found himself standing once again in the large room where Lily's and James' Tourniquets were assigned to them. Lily was there again, holding a tiny baby wrapped in a blue blanket. Next to her stood James, looking extremely nervous. Standing just behind James was his Tourniquet, Vaughn.

"Stop fidgeting, James. You don't have to be so nervous," Lily snapped.

"I'm fine, Lily," he said, sounding anything but.

"Really," Lily said disbelievingly.

A door on the left wall of the chamber opened and the old Tourniquet, Romney came through, followed by Severus Snape. Romney walked straight over to Lily.

"Is this him?" Romney asked, eyeing the infant in Lily's arms.

"Yes," she said proudly, "This is Harry."

"May I?" He asked, gesturing to the baby version of Harry.

Lily said nothing, but gently settled her infant son in the old Tourniquet's arms. Romney smiled at Baby Harry, bouncing him gently. "He's beautiful," the Tourniquet murmured, looking up. "Are you ready to hear who we have chosen as his Tourniquet, Miss Andreanna, Master James?"

James nodded while Lily murmured yes. Romney smiled then, and gently placed the infant in the arms of the young Potions Master at his side. "Harry," the old man murmured to the baby, "This is your Tourniquet, Severus. He will take good care of you, child."

Lily beamed while James could only blink in astonishment. Suddenly he laughed aloud. Lily punched him lightly on the shoulder, demanding to know what was so funny. Her husband was laughing so hard, he couldn't answer.

Harry stepped away from his parents, closer to where Snape stood holding his infant self. The two were watching each other spellbound. Baby Harry reached up with one tiny hand and touched Snape's cheek, eyes round with innocent curiosity.

Baby Harry couldn't have been more than a week old. It is said that babies can't smile when they're that young. But after a moment, as Baby Harry stared at his Tourniquet, he smiled.

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Huzzah. New story. w00t. Please review and tell me what you think!


	2. Open Eyes

Author's Note: Violence. Language. AU after Order of the Phoenix.

Disclaimer: If it was mine, you wouldn't be reading it on this lovely fanfiction website, now, would you?

Italicized writing is people thinking. 

I am so sorry this took so long. I was having a lot of trouble writing this. I was in the middle of writing chapter 2 while Jinx (my angel-kitty muse), my plotbunnies, and my brain are all stuck up ahead in the middle of chapters 5-12. Yes I have outlines for all of those, and then some. I couldn't get myself to concentrate on this.

Jinx: Maybe if you tried writing instead of reading everyone else's stories…

SHH! Quiet, you silly angel-kitty! (ahem)

Anyways, I hope it is good and long enough to make up for the terribly long wait.

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Ch 2) Open Eyes

Harry jerked his head away from the pensieve, gasping for breath as he tried to squash the images it held out of his memory.

_No no no no NO! It's not real! It's not real! I'm human. My parents were human, and I'm human. I'm human! I'm not an Elf! I'M NOT AN ELF!_

Gasping for breath and clutching his head, Harry curled up on the floor next to his bed and cried.

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Severus was nervously pacing in front of the fireplace, his brow furrowed. Frowning, he glanced over at the clock on the mantlepiece. It was midmorning now. Harry would have received the letter a few hours ago at the latest. So where was he?

"He's late," Severus growled at the elderly man sitting next to the fire. "The boy should have gotten his letter by now, and the portkey with it. I'm almost worried." He sneered as he said the last part.

The old man snorted. "Almost? Severus, you're his Tourniquet! Of course you're worried. I am as well. From what I heard, the poor boy didn't even know he was magical at all until he got accepted at Hogwarts. Now, once again, he finds that his parents weren't who and what he thought they were, and that he is affected directly by that. Then add in the fact that one of the people he hates the most is now his mentor and guardian. If it had been me, I know that I would be extremely unnerved, and probably panicked as well."

Severus froze in his tracks. "You think he may be in some sort of trouble?" he said, sneering as he tried to cover up the undertone of worry in his voice.

"Not trouble, per se," the old man said, inspecting his nails in a bored fashion, "Just, he may be a little…distraught." He paused and looked up at the Potions Master. "You should know what he is feeling right now, Severus. You are, after all, his bound Tourniquet."

Severus averted his eyes and muttered something under his breath.

"Sorry, Severus, didn't catch that."

The Potions Master closed his eyes and drew in a breath. "I closed off the bond."

"You WHAT?"

Severus' eyes flashed open, and he leveled a glare at the shocked old man sitting in the armchair by the fireplace. "I closed of the bond when he started Hogwarts."

The old man stared at him in shock, spluttering incredulously. Finally, he managed to utter something understandible. "You have to be joking. It is bad enough that you have alienated the boy for the past five years, but you _closed off _the bond as well? Are you mad?"

"I am well aware of the consequences, Romney," Severus answered irritably.

The old man paid him no mind, continuing on in his tirade. "Do you realize the extent of the damage to the bond you may have caused?"

"Yes, I do," Severus snarled, truly angry now, "I knew what I was doing when I chose to close it off, and what it would mean when I finally had to repair it. I did what I had to in order to keep my charge safe. I was chosen to be Harry's Tourniquet for a reason, Romney, and you would do well to remember that."

Without sparing Romney anything more than a scathing glare, Severus swept out of the room, intent on finding his protegé.

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Severus Beamed right into the sitting room of No. 4 Privet Drive. Beaming was a special ability of the Tourniquets similar to apparition that took them directly to their charge. He surveyed the tacky furniture and decorations surrounding him with disdain. All was silent, and the house seemed empty. He knew it wasn't though. Harry at least had to be home or he wouldn't have Beamed here.

Not finding anyone downstairs, Severus headed for the staircase he had seen in the hall earlier. As he walked up the stairs, Severus carefully started to tear down the barrier he had put on the bond between him and Harry when the boy started school. Slowly, the block came down, piece by piece, each chunk lost revealing more of what his young charge was feeling and thinking. There were his thoughts _ohmygodohmygodohmygod _and there was his physical feeling _slightlyachingmusclesleftoverfromthetransformationlastnight_ and here were the emotions _griefdespairpanicangerfear._

As soon as he felt the emotions he started to run up the stairs. He stopped when he reached the top landing, one hand gripping the banister tightly. There were five doors at the top. He swept his eyes over the first four with disinterest, then he looked at the last door. Several locks were fixed onto this one, keeping whoever was inside from leaving, and there was a catflap at the bottom. The magical aura pulsating from this door was so bright, Severus had to shield his eyes. This was definitely Harry's room.

Dampening his aura-seeing abilities so he could see past the blinding glare, Severus snarled in anger at the locks, and took out his wand. Like most Tourniquets, he wasn't exactly great with a wand, but he could manage a few simple spells. A quick Alohomora opened the locks. He entered the darkened room and took a moment to cast Lumos, lighting the room with a soft white glow.

Harry was sitting on the floor next to the bed, his knees drawn up to his chest and supporting his arms, his head down and face hidden. The newly pointed ears just barely peeked through the ebony hair. The letters and packages from his friends were laying open on the desk, the pensieve sitting next to them. The box and message that Severus himself had sent were on the bed. Perched next to Hedwig in her cage was the Tourniquet Council's messenger owl, the unopened leter still tied to its leg.

Severus crossed the room to the young Elf and knelt down in front of him. He put his hand under the boy's chin, gently lifting Harry's head so he was looking at Severus. The boy's face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were bloodshot, glowing with emotion.

"Professor…?" Harry said, his voice hoarse, and Severus felt his heart break at the utter desolation in that one word.

"Harry, it's alright. There's nothing to be frightened of," Severus placed a hand on the young Elf's shoulder only to have his charge shove it away roughly.

"No! Don't touch me! It's not true! IT'S NOT TRUE!"

Harry broke down into tears again, and Severus was hit by a fresh assault of grief and fear through the bond. The Tourniquet pulled the boy to him in a hug, holding him close. At first Harry struggled weakly in his Potions professor's arms, trying to push back from the Tourniquet's chest. Slowly his struggles ceased, and he sagged in his Tournquet's gentle but firm grip.

The Elf and Tourniquet sat that way for several minutes. Harry sobbed softly into Severus' chest, repeating his mantra continuously, trying to convince himself of its meaning. "It's not true! It's not true! It's not true!"

"Shh, Harry, shh. It is true."

"It isn't! It isn't!"

"Yes, yes, shh, yes, Harry. It's true, all of it. It's all true."

"No…"

"Yes."

Several minutes passed. Slowly, Harry's tears ceased to come, though his shoulders still shook slightly. Standing, Severus pulled Harry up with him. Harry stared to sink back to the floor, but Severus caught his elbow and guided Harry to sit on the bed. "Harry…" Severus started to say, but, noticing the tear-streaked, blank-expressioned face, he stopped, shaking his head. He try to talk to the Elf later, when he wasn't as distraught.

Looking around at the stuff in Harry's room, he started piling Harry's things into his trunk. Once he had gotten everything out of the closet that he thought Harry would want, he turned to the desk. He gathered up Harry's presents and cards and letters from his friends and put them in the trunk. Then he carefully took the pensieve and put it back in the chest. Replacing the false bottom, he followed it up with the knives.

"I had meant for you to wear this, you know." He remarked to the boy sitting on the bed, holding up the ruby pendant.

Harry looked at it, then up at him, and defeatedly said, "It's all true, isn't it?"

"Yes, but we have to go. We can't discuss this here."

"Why should I go anywhere with you? For all I know you're a Death Eater and you're going to drag me off to Voldemort."

Severus smirked. Smart boy, his Harry was, but not smart enough. Then again, considering Harry was currently dealing with the fact that he wasn't human, he could make allowances.

"Harry, if I wanted to do that then I would have done so already."

"You'd have to get me through the wards first…except that the wards would have blocked you from coming in here in the first place. Right, I feel stupid now."

"You're not stupid, Harry. Just ignorant. Now, come, put it on."

Harry took the necklace but didn't put it on. "What is it?" he asked suspisciously.

"It's a necklace, Harry."

"No shit, Sherlock. What does it do? Since you want me to wear it so much it must have some kind of spell or charm on it."

Severus sighed, but chose to ignore the jibe. "It has a couple of protection charms on it. Please put it on." Finally, Harry put it on, hiding the pendant under his shirt. Severus put the box in Harry's trunk and paused before he shut the lid to ask, "Do you have anything else you'd like to take with you?"

Harry said nothing but got up off the bed and knelt on the floor. Lifting a loose floorboard out of its place, he reached into the opening and pulled out his invisibility cloak and a scrapbook. "Is that everything you're bringing Harry?"

Harry glanced around the room before voicing his approval and shutting the trunk.

Severus reached into Hedwig's cage and lifted out the Council's messenger owl. He untied the letter from its foot and tossed the owl into the air outside the window. It flew off, heading for home. Hedwig stretched her wings and followed it out the window. Severus picked up the now empty cage and put it on top of Harry's trunk.

Severus' ears picked up the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.

"Do you want to say farewell to your family?"

Harry shook his head, saying dully, "No. Trust me. They won't care. If anything, they'll be glad I'm gone."

Severus frowned at that, but conceded defeat anyway. He wasn't going to force his young charge into saying farewell if he didn't want to.

"Well, we should at least leave them a note to say you've gone," he said decisively. He went to the desk and, after a brief search through the desk drawers for a pen and paper, scribbled a short note telling Harry's aunt and uncle that he had taken their nephew with him to his home. He folded the paper and placed it in an envelope addressed to the Dursleys and, after sealing the envelope, set it on the desk where it would be noticed.

Severus picked up the letter to Harry from the Council off the bed and opened it. "Come on, then. Let's go," he said, pulling out a small gold coin. He shrank Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage and put them in his pocket. Then he held the portkey out for Harry to touch.

"Where are we going, Professor?" Harry asked as he put a finger on the coin.

"My home. And you call me Severus now, Harry," Severus said, and then he murmured the password to activate the portkey and they were gone.

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Harry and Snape landed with a soft thump in the middle of a large hall lit by the many candles on the walls and, no doubt, by magic. As Harry picked himself up off the ground, he watched Snape walk over and speak to an old man standing by the fireplace in the large room. The old man nodded at whatever was said and then left the room through a small side door. Then Snape walked back over to Harry.

"Are you alright, Harry?"

"Yes," was the short answer as Harry stared at the floor. Severus frowned. How was he going to get Harry out of his current state of depression?

"Come, and I'll take you to your room," Severus said, starting over to the grand staircase at the end of the magnificent hall.

"Yes, sir."

At this, Severus whirled around, eyes flashing. "What did you say?"

Harry was startled out of his reverie. What did he do wrong now? "I just said 'yes sir.'"

"Don't ever call me that again!"

"What? Sir? Why not?"

"Because I am not above you. If anything, _I_ should be calling _you_ sir. You are my superior. You call me Severus. Not professor, not sir, not Snape. From now on, I am Severus, just as you are, now and forever, simply Harry. Got it?"

"Yes si – Severus."

"Good. Never forget, Harry, you are an Elf, and I am your Tourniquet. I am here to serve you, protect you, and teach you. You never call me sir."

"Yes, Severus."

"Let's go see your room, then." With that the Tourniquet whirled around and, robes billowing, started up the stairs.

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Snape (he still couldn't call him Severus in his mind just yet) led him up several sets of stairs before pulling into a hallway with several doors. He led Harry to the first door on the right hand side and unlocked it.

"This is your room," he said, pushing the door open and standing off to the side, allowing Harry entrance. The young Elf stood in the doorway for a moment before stepping inside. Harry blinked in astonishment.

The room was large, and seemingly divided into two sections; a sitting area, and the bedroom. The walls were all forest green, covered over with several magnificent tapestries. When Harry looked closer he could see that they were embroideries of Elves, Centaurs, Vampires, and other magical creatures. In the sitting area was a large couch with dark blue upholstery and a matching easy chair situated around a coffee table, all positioned in front of a large fireplace. The bottom half of the walls were lined with built-in bookshelves filled with new and old tomes. When Harry went to look at them he found spellbooks, potions books, and several books on the history of the Elves and Tourniquets and other magical creatures. A door on the wall of the sitting area opened to reveal a very luxurious but functional bathroom.

The bedroom contained a large bed equipped with a dark blue comforter to match the couch. There was a beautifully carved chest at the end of the bed, and a matching set of bedside tables, one on each side of the bed. A door in the bedroom led to a large walk-in closet, mostly empty, except for a few plain sets of black robes and a chest-of-drawers.

All of the furniture – bed, bookshelves, chest, bedside tables, and coffee table – were made of a beautifully polished mahogany, and the soft carpeting on the floor was solid black. The dark blue curtains on the windows were thrown aside, letting warm sunlight flood in and revealing an amazing view of a lake and some small cliffs.

"Well? Do you like it?"

Harry turned back to Severus with a small smile. "Yes, I…it's wonderful."

Severus gave him a half-smile, as though he were unused to the expression, and took Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage out of his pocket, taking off the shrinking charms. "You should get your things put away."

Harry nodded and looked at the floor. Severus eyed him worriedly.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he whispered. Severus gave another half-smile, this one sad. "Harry, if you were bleeding out your eyes you'd say you were fine. Tell me the truth. Tell me what's bothering you."

Harry looked up at Snape in confusion. "Why do you care all of a sudden?"

"I've always cared, Harry. Even if I didn't show it."

"So why _didn't_ you show it? Why did you treat me like shit?" Harry's voice, and his temper, were starting to rise.

"Language, Harry," Severus admonished calmly.

Harry closed his eyes and drew in a shuddering breath before saying with clenched fists, "You already said you aren't my superior so DON'T BLOODY ACT LIKE IT! I'LL SWEAR IF I DAMN WELL FEEL LIKE IT!"

Severus raised an eyebrow and said smoothly "Right, go ahead and swear then. If it takes being a potty-mouth to put you in a good mood, then so be it."

Harry stared at the Potions Master for a full minute before he finally regained his ability to speak. "Potty…mouth…?" he said faintly, before bursting into hysterical laughter. "Did you...just…call me…a…_potty-mouth_?"

By now Harry was on the floor, clutching his sides, tears pouring from his eyes because he was laughing so hard. Severus looked on in silent amusement. Well, he had gotten Harry out of his desolate mood.

"My work here is done," he murmured as he left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

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Harry took a good two hours to calm down enough to be able to leave his room. His previous mood brightened considerably, he decided to set out to explore the house. The only thing he knew about it was that it was Snape's home, and that wasn't much to go by.

Speaking of Snape, if, no, when he found his Tourniquet they were going to have a very long talk.

But first Harry decided to do something he still hadn't done yet; check out his new appearance.

Tentatively, he walked into the bathroom. He looked at the floor. It was very simple, but nice. Silvery-grey flagstone floors, covered partly with a soft black rug to keep the chill away. He looked at the shower. Clear glass doors with a stainless steel bar with fluffy black and cream colored towels hanging from it. Very nice. He looked at the sink. Smooth white porcelain with an imprint of roses along the edge. Lovely.

Sigh.

He couldn't stall any longer and he knew it.

Slowly, his gaze lifted up to the mirror. It wasn't so bad. He looked…good, even.

His face was pretty much the same. The only real change there was his eyes. No longer in need of the stupid glasses the Dursleys got him at age six when he started having trouble seeing, they were the same bright green, but now they sparkled with magic, marking him as a magical creature.

His once unruly hair was now smoother and silkier, making it look longer than it had before, just barely brushing his shoulders. Maybe he'd grow it out long. He'd always thought he'd look better with long hair. Slowly, he pushed back the raven strands covering his ears. He touched the long, pointed tips, feeling the new shape. It wasn't so bad. He could learn to like it.

What else had changed? Taking off his shirt, Harry realized his once skinny physique was still slender, but now layered with toned muscle. The muscle had been there before – Quidditch did that for you – but now they showed better.

Glad that he hadn't changed too drastically, or for the worse, Harry pulled the oversized sweatshirt back on. _That is one thing I'd be happy to have change drastically. As soon as I can, I'm going to get an all new wardrobe. No more elephant-sized clothes._

As he turned to leave the bathroom, he noticed something about his reflection out of the corner of his eye that he hadn't noticed before. _Oh, crap!_ _That definitely wasn't there before!_

Harry's furry black tail twitched slightly as he stared. _ Tail. Right. I never heard anything about a tail before._ He would have to question Snape about this later. Since when did Elves have _tails_? How he hadn't noticed this before, or noticed his parents having tails in the pensieve, he had no idea. Maybe he was just unobservant.

Looking over his shoulder at the new appendage, he reached back and touched it. The jet black fur was soft and silky, and he could move the tail around and use it almost like an extra hand, like a monkey's tail. It was long enough to drag on the floor, and Harry figured that he must have been curling it up subconsciously to keep it off the ground as he walked without even realizing it. _Well, it could've been worse, _he thought, petting the soft fur absently_. It could've been a rat's tail._ Shaking off thoughts of the traitor Wormtail, he left the bathroom, finished aquainting himself with his new appearance.

Ready to go look around now, he grabbed his wand off the bedside table where he had set it down and left his rooms to explore.

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The house – manor, castle, whatever it was – was bloody huge. Harry had been wandering around for almost forty-five minutes with no sign of seeing Snape, or anyone else for that matter.

Going down yet another set of stairs, Harry winced as he accidentally banged his new tail on the steps behind him for the fourth time that day. He had to remember to hold it up higher or it was going to become bruised very swiftly. _Though it might already have a couple bruises,_ he thought as he came to the foot of the staircase.

Immediately he knew he wasn't alone on this floor of the house, if the light from one room a ways down the hall was anything to judge by. Quietly sneaking closer to the slightly open door, he found that with his newly improved hearing, even from out in the hall he could hear every word that was said in the room.

"…know if I can teach Harry everything he needs to know before it's time for him to return to school," came Snape's voice.

"Now, Severus, I have faith in you. You are a good teacher. And you always spoke so highly of the boy's ability to learn," said a second, older, rasping voice.

_Snape said I was a good learner? Yeah right, that guy must be crazy…_Harry thought to himself.

Harry heard Snape snort before saying, "If he heard you say that he'd think you were crazy. And anyway, it's not a case of how fast the boy can learn or how good a teacher I am. It's the sheer quantity of what I have to teach him. He knows next to nothing about Elves. I have to start at the very beginning. He needs to learn about the history, culture, language, mythology, politics, weapons…everything. There's too much for me to teach in the next month before school starts again."

"You could always continue teaching the boy when you return to the school."

Snape snorted again. "And risk the Headmaster finding out? I think not. Though it's possible he will find out anyways. He tends to butt into Harry's life a lot more than he did with James and Lily."

At this point Harry decided he might as well make himself known and speak to them. He knocked on the door frame, so as not to open the door itself, and the room fell silent. He heard soft footsteps coming over to the door, and it was pulled fully open, revealing the Potions Master of Hogwarts on the other side, the old man that had been in the main hall earlier sitting in a chair further into the room.

"Um…hi." Harry said. Snape said nothing, but stepped back out of the doorway and motioned for Harry to enter the room. The old man stood up from his seat and came over to Harry. "Ah, Harry! Good to see you, lad. Let me have a look at you."

The old man looked him up and down, and Harry fidgeted a little in discomfort. The man nodded and smiled in approval. "Excellent. You are in fine health, lad. Come," he said, pulling Harry over to the chair he had recently occupied. "Sit. Severus and you will have much to discuss, I am sure. I'll take my leave now."

And with that the wizened old man bowed low before Harry (who was standing frozen in shock and was thus unable to respond) nodded to Snape and swept out of the room, deep green cloak billowng.

"Okay then," Harry said blinking, totally bewildered. "I'm officially confused now."

Snape smirked. "That was Romney, the head of the Tourniquet council. You should recognize him from the memories in the pensieve."

"Thought he looked familiar…" Harry muttered before the two of them lapsed into an awkward silence.

"So," Harry said a few minutes later, trying to relieve some of the tension, "I'm an Elf, is that right?"

Snape snorted softly. "Obviously. Or did you think this was some kind of prank?" He raised an eyebrow at the young Elf.

Harry grinned apologetically. "Actually, I did at first. Then after seeing the stuff from the Pensieve I was in denial. By now, though, I've accepted it."

Snape stared at him. "Just like that? You were practically hyperventilating when I found you and now just three hours later you smile and say you've accepted it?"

Harry shrugged. "I have accepted that no matter what I do, I'll always be the odd one out. That's the way things are, and I can't change it, so I may as well quit my bitching. If it makes you feel any better, it took longer to accept the fact I am an Elf than it took to accept the fact that magic was real, when Hagrid came and gave me my Hogwarts letter. That time I just took Hagrid at his word," Harry laughed, covering his eyes with a hand and shaking his head. "I walked off with a total stranger because he told me magic was real and that he knew my parents," he snorted. "Bit stupid of me really."

Severus smiled slightly. "Yes, you always were a little too trusting when you were younger."

Harry looked up and frowned at him. "How would you know? We didn't meet until I came to Hogwarts."

Severus sat in the chair opposite his charge, watching him calculatingly. Now came the hard part of their discussion. "Harry, tell me. How do you feel right now? No, wait, let me rephraise that: _what_ do you feel right now?"

Harry frowned, his brow furrowing. "I feel…stronger…than I have since, well, ever. I can see and hear and smell much better than before. And…there's something else, too…it's familiar, like I felt it before…No, I_ know_ I felt it before. Before Hogwarts. The last time I felt this was right before I got on the Hogwarts Express for the first time."

"Describe the feeling for me, Harry."

"It's difficult to describe. I feel…warm. Safe. I feel like there's someone sitting in the back of my mind, that truly cares for me. Like no matter what I did, they'd be there to support me, to help and protect me."

Harry seemed to shrink in his chair as he slowly built up speed, telling about the strange sensations that he had never talked about to anyone before.

"It's like an imaginary friend, or a guardian angel…I can't tell which would better describe them. I mean, they're there, watching over me, but then again, they're not _there_, you know? I used to sit in my cupboard sometimes, after the Dursleys had been insulting me or hurting my feelings, and I'd cry and wish I had a real family. One that didn't hate me like the Dursleys. And then the feeling would get stronger, like the person could sense my pain and was trying to comfort me. They helped me, and made me feel better. But when I tried to see who it was, there was never anyone there. It was kind of creepy, but comforting at the same time. I used to call the feeling my Angel."

Severus chuckled. "I've been called many things, Harry, but I don't ever remember anyone calling me an 'Angel' before."

Harry's head jerked up and he stared at Severus. "You mean that feeling…is you?"

Severus nodded. "Indeed. I am your Tourniquet. That feeling is part of the bond we share. When I was selected to be your Tourniquet, a magical bond was formed between us. There are three basic parts to the bond: a mental link, an emotional link, and a physical link.

"The mental allows us to speak telepathically, and in my case, I can hear what you are thinking. You can sense my presence when I am listening in on your thoughts. It's described as a sort of humming in the back of the mind. The emotional link lets me share your emotions. The physical one lets me know your physical sensations. So if you are hurt in any way, I will know.

"For privacy reasons we are both able to close off parts of the bond. I closed off the thought part for now so as not to invade your privacy, but if the need arises, I will open it back up. This bond enables us Tourniquets to better care for our charges, even if we've been seperated."

"So why haven't I felt this between now and first year?"

Severus bowed his head in shame and sorrow. "I couldn't risk the Headmaster finding out you were an Elf, so I closed off the bond entirely until your inheritence. I knew if I didn't, then once you met me, you would be unexplainably drawn to me. If I had shown anything less than hatred for the son of my childhood 'enemy,' Dumbledore would have gotten suspicious. I couldn't let Dumbledore find out, so I did the only thing I could think to do; I drove you away."

He looked up at Harry then, his eyes burning. "Harry, no matter what, you must not let Dumbledore find out you are an Elf."

Harry's brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"Dumbledore has the best intentions, of that, I've no doubt. But some of the worst things in history happened because of one person's 'best intentions'. If he finds out about your Elven heritage, he will take advantage of your strengths, and turn you into the perfect weapon for his war against Voldemort. Dumbledore puts more value on the greater good than on the individual. He sees himself as the leader and everyone else as his loyal pawns, who do what he tells them to do. This is how _he_ fights the battle, but not fighting at all, remaining on the sidelines and sending others out to get killed 'for the cause'."

Severus heaved a sigh and sank down into the armchair across from Harry, his eyes haunted. He seemed to almost be speaking to himself now, his voice soft and sad.

"Have you noticed, the majority of the Order fall into two groups. There are the strong, impressionable, young people: those just out of Hogwarts and easily manipulated, the children of original members, and those he has swayed to his side during their schooling. People such as the younger Weasleys and Miss Tonks. The other group is the remaining original members, like Mad-Eye Moody, Emmaline Vance, and Hagrid. All of these are people that he finds trustworthy, because he can get them to do almost anything and they do it without question. They have become his pawns, and are unable to make their own decisions. He has become the same manipulative warlord as Voldemort, except he controls his followers using lemon drops and a dotty old grandfather persona rather than the Unforgiveables."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, biting his lower lip. "Is that why you were hiding your friendship with my parents as well? To keep them out of Dumbledore's hands?"

"Yes, exactly. The less attention they drew to themselves, the better. They did end up being in the Order, but they were not prominent members.

"When Lily and James were found by the Council, and I had to keep an eye on them when Vaughn and Trista could not, we gradually became friends. To keep the Headmaster from becoming suspicious, we kept up pretenses of our standard relationships from before we called a truce.

"That's also why Remus and Sirius and I acted as we did when we were together in public, even this many years later. I will admit, however, that some of the animosity between Sirius and myself recently was real at first. It took Remus a good deal of explaining to convince me that Sirius was innocent and Wormtail was Weasley's disgusting rat."

Harry nodded again. "That explains a lot," he muttered.

"Indeed, it does," Severus muttered.

Harry looked up with wide eyes. "Oh crap. Wormtail. He knows. And if he does, then so does Voldemort."

"Not nessecarily. It's possible, but not definate. Keep in mind, Peter never did anything for anyone unless there was something in it for him. He may try to use it to earn the Dark Lord's favor if he needs to, but I for one doubt He knows. Otherwise the Dark Lord probably would've either said something about it, or tried to persuade you to his side rather try to kill you. Also, I would most likely be dead now. He likely won't mention it unless he absolutely has to. The Dark Lord would wonder why he was not told sooner, and would probably torture Peter for withholding information."

Severus snorted in derision. "Then again, as it's Peter, He may have forgotten that your transformation was due this summer. He never had the best memory to begin with, and I doubt living as a rat for twelve years did his mental condition any good."

Harry snickered, and the two lapsed into silence again.

This time it was the Potions Master who broke the silence. "Well, Harry, did you have any questions about your new predicament?"

"Yeah, a couple, actually. Let's start with the simplest one for now. Why the _hell_ do I have a bloody tail?"

Severus grinned. "Some of the more powerful Elves, most of the time Night or Wood Elves, have had tails. It's not very common, but it's not unheard of either. Does it bother you at all? We could find some way to hide it if you want, like a charm or a potion. Generally it's not a good idea to remove it. Removal of limbs can risk damaging an Elf's magical core. With wizards, the magical core is generally centered near the heart, but for Elves, it runs throughout their entire body. Thus the danger of damage via amputation."

Harry shook his head. "No, it's alright. It doesn't exactly bother me, it just surprised me. Mum didn't say anything in her letter about a tail."

Severus nodded. "She wouldn't have. Like I said, tails are generally found with extremely powerful Elves. Most often, those few Elves who had tails actually got them gradually, from becoming very powerful over time. Kings, high priests, and great warriors were the most common. I doubt she expected you to get one at all, let alone during your coming of age transformation."

"Yeah," Harry murmured. "I actually kind of like it. I mean, if I have to be non-human I may as well look the part. No sense looking like a human if I'm not one. Though, this will attract even more unwanted attention."

Severus' lip curled in disgust "Yes, you do seem to garner a lot of that, don't you?"

Harry's eyes blazed at the comment, mistaking it for an insult on Severus' part. "Why must you always bring up my celebrity status? I don't want the attention! I don't want to be famous! I'm sick of this, so just fuck off already!"

Severus merely raised an eyebrow. "I didn't mean for that to sound offensive, Harry. I was agreeing with you, not insulting you. My dislike was for the fame itself, not for you."

Harry blushed and hung his head, muttering an apology under his breath.

"There's no need to apologize Harry. I understand. An act on my part or not, I didn't give you the easiest time during your schooling."

Harry snorted. "Understatement of the century, that. Anyways, next question. You mentioned teaching me?"

Severus leaned forward in his seat. "Ah yes. I know that you have no knowledge of the Elves, or their culture, or anything about them, really. So you will be having lessons with me for the culture, history, magical powers, etcetera."

Harry glared at him. "Is that an order, _sir?_" he asked sarcastically.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I would like very much for you to have some lessons with me on the culture, history, language, and magics of your people, so that you will know your own heritage and will be able to control your magics. Is that alright with you, Harry?" He asked his charge semi-sarcastically.

"Yes, sir, I agree with you that I should learn about myself and my people." Harry replied with a cheeky smirk.

Severus rolled his eyes again and shook his head.

"And, si-Severus, what did you mean control of my magic? I have complete control over my magic."

Severus looked amusedly at his charge. "Complete control? So you're saying you sank halfway into the floor on purpose?"

Harry looked down at his lap with a start to find that the lower half of his body had turned incorporeal and was slowly sinking downward. He had already been lowered about a foot down through his chair, so that the seat of the chair passed directly through his transluscent midsection. His feet had sunk down through the floor up to his ankles. Harry shrieked and tried to jump up, which just caused him to sink further.

He glared up, panicked, at his snickering Tourniquet. "Would you quit laughing and help me out here?!"

Severus got up and walked over to Harry, who was now knee-deep in the floor, he kneeled in front of the frantic young Elf. "Since we have a perfect example right here, we may as well have the first lesson in magic control right now," he said, calmly smirking.

"So teach me already, before I go through the entire fucking floor!" Harry twisted and turned in a futile attempt to free himself. All it managed to do was cause him to sink further into the floor, all the way to his waist.

"First off, relax. Stop hyperventilating. You can't control you power if you are panicked." Harry nodded, closing his eyes and taking several deep breathes.

"Alright, are you calm now? Okay. First you need to pull yourself out of the floor, then you can turn yourself solid again. It wouldn't do for you turn solid when you are still inside the floor. That could prove rather painful."

Harry winced. "Okay, so what do I do?" He asked desperately.

"Only your bottom half is incorporeal, correct?"

Harry looked at Severus as though he had gone mad. "NO BLOODY SHIT!"

Severus just raised an eyebrow. "You really need to watch your language, you know. So only your lower body is incorporeal at the moment. Think and tell me how you can pull yourself out."

"Can't you just tell me, Severus? Please?" Now Harry was up to his chest.

"You're hyperventilating again. Deep breathes, Harry. You need to learn how to keep yourself together and think in a panic situation. Think Harry. You still have your arms, shoulders, neck, and head solid right now, correct? There's a few things you could've done. There still a few options you can take to get out of this mess."

The young Elf closed his eyes and struggled to calm his breathing. After he finally started breathing normally again, he opened his eyes and asked, "How do I turn myself corporeal again?"

"Simple. You draw up a reserve of your magic and focus on what you want it to do. You do the same to turn incorporeal. It may take some time at first, but soon enough you should be able to do it instantaneously."

Harry considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Okay then," he said, and closed his eyes, brow furrowing in concentration. Severus waited a moment, holding his breath as he watched his young charge feel out and work with his power. As Severus watched, the parts of Harry's body that were still showing above the floor shimmered slightly, then became transluscent, and he sank swiftly through the floor the rest of the way.

Severus leaned forward with interest as the boy disappeared through the floor. He winced as he heard a loud thud and a muffled groan come from the room just below him.

Severus opened up the mental link to his young charge. _ 'Are you alright?'_

'_Peachy,'_ came Harry's pained thought-speak a moment later.

'_What did you do?'_

'_I turned myself corporeal again as soon as I came out the bottom and hit the floor instead of sinking through again.'_

Severus snorted in amusement._ 'Are you alright?'_ He asked again.

'_Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be right back up.'_

'_Alright. '_

Severus closed off the link and waited for a few moments. Soon enough, Harry came in the door, wincing and rubbing his elbow where he had landed.

"So, did we learn something today?" Severus asked, crossing his arms and smirking at his young charge.

"I learned that all Slytherins are arseholes."

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Please review and tell me what you thought of the new chapter. It helps me to write if I know what people think and/or are looking forward to! Flames are just used to cook steak.


	3. Ritual Magic

Author's Note: Violence. Language. AU after Order of the Phoenix.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine.

_Italicized writing is people thinking and passages from books._

I have four words for you before I begin the new chapter:

I loathe Writer's Block.

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Ch 3) Ritual Magic

Severus insisted that Harry come eat something, since by now it was getting late, and Harry had eaten nothing all day. He took Harry downstairs to the dining room, calling for a House Elf to bring them some dinner. The little Elf happily complied, returning quickly with barbecued chicken, corn, and rolls.

Several other Tourniquets, including the old man, Romney, joined them for dinner. They all looked a lot like Severus. All of them were tall and slender, with pale white skin, black hair and eyes, and almost unnatural grace. Harry stood close to Severus, shy around the other Tourniquets, as the Potions Master introduced them.

There was a stern looking older woman who was introduced as Romney's wife, named Callista. Then there was their son Ezra, and his lady friend Rana. There was also a particularly tall brooding fellow who hung back in the shadows. He went by the name of Torrance.

The Tourniquets seemed to Harry to be almost like a King's court. They were stately, proper and polite. And yet, despite this, they were a merry bunch. The Tourniquets talked and laughed amongst themselves as they all sat down to dinner. Harry, while still quite shy and nervous around these strange people, found himself a little more at ease.

A nice surprise for Harry came at dessert, when the House Elves came out with a lovely birthday cake for him. It was chocolate, with fudge icing. It wasn't very big, but it was beautifully decorated with roses and a lovely basket weave done on the sides in icing, with "Happy Birthday Harry!" written on it.

Once the cake was gone, the group of Tourniquets pulled out a small pile of gifts for him. He tried to politely decline, but each of the Tourniquets insisted on giving him something.

Callista and Romney had gotten him a beautiful fur-lined cloak. It was snow-white and charmed to keep mud and dirt off. They smiled as he thanked them enthusiastically for the beautiful gift.

Ezra had given him a set of leatherbound journals. They had an intricate design of twining flowers and vines and Elven runes on the cover. In fact, when Harry looked closer, he could tell that the design matched that of the ones on the matching daggers Severus had given him.

Rana gave him a photo album. It was similar to Hagrid's in that it was filled with pictures of his parents, Sirius, and Remus, except that many of the photos also included Severus, as well as two other Tourniquets, one male and the other female. Harry recognized the two Tourniquets as his parents' guardians, Trista and Vaughn. He noticed that in several of the pictures that showed both Trista and Severus, the two stood suspiciously close together. He wondered if they had been close friends, or perhaps more than friends?.

Torrance had given him a mahogany carving that showed a stag, a large dog, and a wolf running over grass. It had been beautifully handcarved by Torrance himself, and it was a perfect model of Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs down to the last detail.

Harry couldn't thank the Tourniquets enough.

But the nicest gift by far had most definitely come from Severus.

When Severus had said he had something else for Harry, the young Elf protested.

"You already gave me something, you don't need to do anything else, si – Severus. Really!"

But Severus refused to take no for an answer. He left the dining room through a small side door and returned a few moments later holding a solid black, two-month-old wolf cub wearing a purple collar with a silver tag. Harry gasped when he saw the puppy. He looked just like Padfoot.

"This is Cullen," Severus said as he settled the pup in Harry's lap, "He's to be your familiar."

Harry said nothing for moment, just staring into the pup's bright blue eyes, petting him gently. The pup reached his head up to sniff Harry's face before licking him on the cheek.

Harry smiled as he looked up at his Tourniquet. "Thank you," he said, smiling widely. His eyes glowed with heightened emotion. "He's beautiful, thank you so much!"

Severus just smiled and nodded.

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Harry followed Severus through the halls after dinner, holding Cullen as he petted the young wolf absently. Severus stopped and turned to look at Harry, who leaned against the wall, hugging the warm, furry cub. Severus watched his charge and smiled at the sight of the teenager cuddling his familiar.

"You seemed uncomfortable at dinner, Harry," he said.

Harry looked up at him and shrugged. "I just…don't really know what to expect from them. The Tourniquets, I mean. This is all new to me. I don't know how I'm supposed to act around them or anything."

"Just act like yourself," Severus said simply. "It's cliché, I know, but there's a reason it's cliché. We don't want to have found the last living Elf and have him acting like someone he's not. That would make the whole thing kind of pointless, if you think about it."

Harry shrugged set the struggling pup down on the floor, kneeling down so he could play with the puppy a little. Cullen walked around on legs that still were slightly unsteady, hopping and playing. Harry smiled as he watched the cub's antics.

Harry looked up from the cub to his Tourniquet. "Where are we anyway? You said it's your home, but you never said much else."

"This is the Tourniquets' Manor. This is basically our base of operations. It's somewhere in southern Scotland, I believe. It houses some of the remaining Tourniquets, as well as any Elves we may find. Currently, you are the only one. We've also stored many of the remaining Elven and Tourniquet documents, books, and artifacts here.

"It's a pretty large place, and most of the Tourniquets staying here go out during the day, to work, manage personal business, and the like, so usually you and I will be the only ones here. However, the Touniquets that live here make a point of meeting in the Dining Room every night around six o'clock to have dinner together. You will be expected to join us, Harry." Severus added, looking pointedly at the young Elf.

Harry sighed. "Brilliant."

The Elf stood, picking Cullen up as he went, and glanced down the hall in either direction again. "So, do you think you could show me around, so I won't get lost?"

Severus agreed and gave him a tour of the Manor, answering Harry's questions about the house as they went.

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After the tour, Severus led Harry back to his rooms. When they went in, Harry found that the House Elves had placed a soft bed for Cullen at the foot of his own bed, and a food and water bowl were on the floor in a corner of the living room area.

Next to the food and water dishes was a very nice perch, complete with a food and water dish of her own, for Hedwig. At some point while Harry and Severus were out and about in the house, the owl had found her way to the Manor and was now sitting contentedly on the perch, waiting for her master's return. She hooted softly at Harry from her perch in greeting before tucking her head under her wing.

Harry set Cullen down on the floor and watched for a few moments as the cub ran around the room, exploring.

"I want you to be in bed, asleep, before ten, alright, Harry?" Severus said.

Harry nodded, still watching Cullen and said, "Okay."

"Also, Harry, we will be meeting tomorrow morning at ten o'clock in the library to arrange your lesson plans. Don't be late."

Harry nodded again, and turned to watch as the Potions Master swept out of the room. Severus stopped at the door and said softly over his shoulder, "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, si – Severus."

The Tourniquet closed the door softly behind him.

After showering quickly and changing into a set of clean pajamas, Harry went to look for a book. He picked one out and settled down in the living room to read it. Cullen followed him in and hopped up on the sofa and onto his lap, curling up and going to sleep on top of Harry's legs.

The book was titled The Creatures of Gaea, and was about the several different Great Races, including Veela, Elf, Giant, Human (Muggle and Wizard variety), Werewolf, Fairy, Dwarf, Vampire, Nymph, Leprechaun, Mermaid, Centaur, Shapeshifter, Ghost, Poltergeist, Faun, Satyr, Goblin, House Elf, and Tourniquet.

Harry wanted to learn more about his transformation and the reasons why Elves looked Human until their sixteenth birthday. He also wanted to look up Tourniquets. He had never heard of them before.

He quickly looked through the table of contents and flipped to the section on Elves.

_The Elven body is incapable of aging. This 'eternal youth' and their incredibly long lifespan gave birth to the myth that Elves are immortal. This, however, is not so. Unless they meet with unnatural causes of death, the average Elf will live to be about a three thousand years old. However, it is incredibly rare for an Elf to live long enough to die of old age. Usually an Elf will die 'young' by war, illness, design, or accident. Though it is rare for them to die of disease, some have been recorded to die of a broken heart, when their chosen mate is of a race with a lower lifespan and dies._

_Because of their incapability to age, Elves are born with the body of a Human, the race with the most similar body to Elves. They live and grow through infancy, childhood, and the beginning of their teenage years in Human form. Then at their sixteenth birthday, their body reaches maturity and reverts to its proper Elven form. The body will no longer age after its transformation for the duration of the Elf's life. The mind however, will continue to grow and mature, as all creatures do. The "teenage" mindset is considered to last until the Elf's one-hundred-fiftieth birthday or so. At that age, the Elf is considered fully mature both physically and mentally. _

_In general, though, the "coming-of-age" is held when the Elf takes on their true form at sixteen. With other, less long-lived races, such as Humans, this is when an Elf is considered adult, if still a young adult._

_During the transformation itself, the ears become pointed and the body is strengthened considerably. The facial features generally become more defined, and there may be a few other discreet changes in appearance, one of the most noticeable being the glow of the Elf's magical core appearing in the pupils of the eyes. The eyes truly are the 'window to the soul' for Elves, allowing their magical core to show through. The colour of their eyes is the same as the colour of their magical core and aura. The glow is most noticeable when the Elf is running on high emotions. This is because the magical core becomes agitated, assuring that it is ready for use should the Elf need or want to call upon his or her magic._

_The magical core of a Human is centered around the heart. However, Elves literally have magic in every fiber of their being. Their magical core runs throughout their entire body. During the transition from Human to Elf, the core must spread throughout the body, causing a large amount of pain. Because the magical core of an Elf runs through the entire body, should an Elf have extensive damage to their limbs, the wound could prove fatal. Amputation of a limb can and will at least, not only physically, but also magically, and sometimes mentally, disable the Elf._

_Before the transformation, the Elf's magic is used in the same manner as any Human's would, using a wand and incantation to draw their power from the core. But once the magical core has spread throughout the body, Elves do not require a wand to draw out or focus their magic. Instead they can utilize a sort of wish-magic. That is, they simply will things to happen. This ability is still somewhat limited, i.e. they can not create something out of nothing or force things to happen that is physically and magically impossible, such as returning the dead to life. The only real difference is that they no longer require wands or incantations to do spells. They can use such things if they so wish, but it neither helps nor hinders their capabilities. Many Elves find it more convenient to simply not bother with such tools._

_Their magic will also show in new ways that can be difficult to control at times. The Elf must learn to control this new power, as sometimes it can be disruptive to his or her daily life. The way in which the magic manifests determines the Elf's classification. Elven classification consists of six different types of Elves._

_**High Elves: **High Elves are called such because their magic manifests itself in Divination. All High Elves are true Seers, and can get visions, premonitions, and prophetic dreams. As a rule, High Elves are some of the most beautiful of all the Elves, having within them an ethereal quality. This otherworldly aura is caused from their magical core, which dwells half in the realm of the Beyond, giving them their Sight._

_**Sea Elves: **The Sea Elf generally feels the most comfortable on or near the ocean. Their ability is the power to hold their breath for an almost indefinate amount of time. They can also swim at speeds higher than any other Elf, and go to depths of water where other creatures would be crushed from the pressure._

_**Wood Elves: **Wood Elves favor forests and areas with thriving plant and animal life. They are incredibly fleet of foot, and can speak with trees and any nonmagical creature. That is not to say that they can control the behaviors of such creatures, just that they can understand and be understood by nonmagical creatures._

_**Night Elves: **Night Elves generally favor the night over the day. They are usually dark complexioned and have darker hair colour. They have the power to turn themselves invisible and incorporeal, and when paired with the natural stealth that all Elves have, this makes them the ultimate spys and assasins._

_**Sky Elves: **The Sky Elf is one of the strangest types of Elf. These Elves can rearrange their bone and muscle structure to form a pair of massive wings, which are positioned just below the shoulder blades. These huge wings can carry them on the air for long distances._

_**Draggon Elves: **The rarest and most magically powerful Elves are known as Draggon Elves. These reclusive beings can tame dragons literally with a mere glance. They have long refused to reveal how they do this, but it is theorized that when they look into the eyes of a dragon they can speak to the dragon's soul, and somehow befriend the beast._

_It is a common misconception that the House Elf is one of the classifications of the Elves. However, they are not related in any way shape or form. For more information on the House Elf, see chapter 12._

_Some Elves have so much magic, their body cannot contain the entire magical core in just the body, head, and limbs. There is simply too much of it to possibly fit. So occasionally, if an Elf has a particularly powerful magical core, during their transformation on their sixteenth birthday the magic will push out, creating a new limb to help house the surplus magic. This is why often, when you come across a highly powerful or strong Elf, they have a tail. Many times in history, as an Elf gained knowledge and experience, and his or her magical core thrived and expanded, the Elf would gradually gain a tail to help his or her body contain the magical core._

_Should an Elf's body, for whatever reason, not be able to change appropriately to fit the core, it is possible that the core would simply push its way free of the body to relieve the pressure. That is, a tear would appear in the body, through which you could see the victim's magical core leaking out as it bleeds off the pressure. However, this is incredibly rare. _

Cullen started kicking suddenly on Harry's lap in his sleep, startling Harry out of his reading. Setting the book on the small table next to the sofa, he scooped the wolf cub up into his arms and carried him over to his little doggy bed. He laid Cullen down and petted the wolf cub gently, smiling as the pup settled back into sleep.

Harry glanced over at the clock and found that it wasn't very late. Only nine o'clock or so. He went back to the sofa and picked up his book, then turned off the lamp next to the sofa. He took the book back over to the bed with him. He climbed in, reveling in the soft, warm bed. He didn't think he had ever been this comfortable before. He reached over without looking up from the book to turn on the bedside light, but there seemed to be nothing there.

He looked up and found that his arm was incorporeal up to the elbow, his wrist going straight through the lamp. He cursed loudly and yanked his hand back.

Harry stared at his hand as he struggled to slow his breathing. What was it Severus had told him? And the book had mentioned something as well. Just gather up some of his magic and focus on what he wanted…

Harry stared hard at his hand, toungue between his teeth. Nothing happened. He started to sweat, and he could feel his magic beginning to slip.

Just as he was starting to panic, his hand turned solid again. He breathed a sigh of relief. Shaking off the adrenaline rush, he turned back to the lamp and flicked the switch to turn it on.

The light on, he settled back against the cushions and turned the pages in his book to the chapter on Tourniquets.

_The Tourniquet is perhaps one of the most mysterious magical creatures. No one truly knows what their origins are, but it is said that they were at one time Humans. Supposedly, their ancestors were enslaved by the Elves and then bred for one specific purpose that they still hold to today; to care for and watch after young Elves_

_Despite this myth, the Tourniquets take their duty as guardians very seriously. They train their young from birth to act as a caretaker, parental figure, bodyguard, teacher, and most importantly, a friend to their chosen Elf. Every Elf, when first born, is bonded to a Tourniquet at the soonest possible oppurtunity. The Tourniquet guides their Elven charge through their transformation and helps them to adjust to their new form and magics._

_A Tourniquet's magical core is not easily accessed and tapped when using active magic such as charms, curses, jinxes, hexes, and other spells. They tend to be very weak in such areas of magic, though some Tourniquets choose to master it. However, because their magical core is not designed to be used in such a fashion, frequent use of this type of magic can damage their magical core. _

_Because of this, Tourniquets generally specialize in such things as potions, caring for magical plants and animals, divination, and other magics that work by drawing the power out of the creature passively and naturally._

_They do however, have a brand of active magic that is tied into their bond with their charge. They share an emotional, mental, and physical connection to their charge, better enabling them to look after the Elf. They can sense their Bonded's emotions, hear their thoughts, and feel the same physical sensations. They have the power to easily enter the mind of their charge and seek out specific memories and thoughts. _

_Should they wish to, they can close of these three parts of the bond, ensuring that their emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations are their own and not their Bonded Elf's. Should the Elf wish for privacy, they can either ask the Tourniquet to close off the bond, or they can employ the use of Occlumency and cut it off themselves. Also, if they work together, the Elf and Tourniquet can build a sort of doorway between their minds that can block the sensations without closing off the bond entirely._

_The Tourniquet has a method of transportation that is quite similar to apparating called Beaming. Beaming takes them directly to the location of their charge, no matter where they are. They also have the ability to see magical auras, shown as a colored light surround the magical object or creature._

_Tourniquets appear to be Human, allowing them to blend in almost perfectly among the Human populace. They are noticeable by their incredibly light skin, solid black hair and eyes, and striking facial features. Tourniquets tend to be tall, with wiry muscle structures, and are naturally graceful and skilled fighters. _

_Their lifespan is tied to that of their Bonded Elf, up to about three thousand years, though, again, like Elves, they seldom reach their full life expectancy. They can fall prey to disease or injury, the same as any creature, and many times, during periods of war especially, Tourniquets have fallen in the line of duty, defending their Elf. Should a Tourniquet not be Bonded to an Elf, or if their charge dies before they do, they will generally live to be about two to three hundred, the same general lifespan for the Wizarding branch of Humans. Should the Elf die after their Tourniquet has passed this age, the Tourniquet will die._

Harry stopped reading to yawn and glanced over at the clock. It was still fairly early, but he was tired now, and he had found out what he wanted to know. For now, at least. He shut the book and set it on the bedside table, then turned off the light.

Harry leaned back into the soft bed, quickly falling into a deep dreamless sleep.

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The next morning found Harry in the library at ten o'clock with Severus. He watched the Potions Master warily, still expecting him to snap back into Professor Snape mode.

"Alright, Harry," Severus said, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back against one of the tables, "what would you like to learn first?"

Harry stared. "You're letting me choose, sir?"

"I told you to call me Severus," he snapped before continuing in a calmer voice, "and yes, you get to choose. You'll have to learn it all anyways, so you may as well get to choose which one we start with."

"Oh. Okay then, er, how about physical self defence?"

"Alright. For this we'll need to go down to the training room." He stood and walked out of the room, Harry hurrying to follow.

"As a matter of interest," Severus said as they walked, "Why self defence?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "Just…I thought, since Voldemort has finally decided to show his ugly face to the public, that there would probably be a lot more Death Eater attacks. I might as well start learning how to properly defend myself, magically _and_ nonmagically."

Severus stopped in the hall and turned to face Harry. "That's smart of you, Harry."

'_Did he just compliment me?' _The young Elf just about passed out from the shock, and stared at his Tourniquet dazedly.

"However," Severus said sharply, startling Harry into paying attention, "I'd better not find out later that you are working your tail off to become strong enough to defeat the Dark Lord as quickly as possible. I don't want you to worry about him right now. There are quite a fair few people who are much older, stronger, and more experienced who are perfectly capable of handling Voldemort."

Harry just nodded.

"Once you having finished school and completed training, then I suppose if you wish to participate in the war, you may. But I don't want you to concern yourself with this right now. You are still young, and bravery alone will not save you in combat with experienced Dark wizards."

"I understand that, si - Severus." Harry said.

"Harry, I want you to promise me that you won't kill yourself worrying about this."

Harry looked up at the Tourniquet. Severus was watching him carefully. He nodded.

"I promise."

"Good. Now, let's get over to the training room and begin your lessons."

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Self defence, Harry found, was a lot harder than Dudley's karate ninja movies made it out to be.

Severus had taken him to the training room and immediately made the young Elf change into a Muggle training suit. It was light-weight and made out of cotton, and was quite comfortable.

Then came the lesson.

It started out with learning the different stretching techniques, which, as Severus told him, were as much meant to be a relaxation technique as they were to be a warm up.

Then Severus made him run laps around the room for ten minutes without stopping. By the time he had finished, Harry was flushed and sweaty – and they hadn't even gotten to the actual lesson yet!

'_This is gonna take a while to get used to…'_ Harry thought miserably to himself. He entirely missed the smirk Severus gave him when the Tourniquet overheard this thought.

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After the lesson Harry went up to his room to shower quickly and change into clean clothes before running out to search for Severus, Cullen following at his heels.

Thanks to the mental link the Bond gave them, he managed to find his Tourniquet quickly. He was back in the library, waiting for him.

"Harry, I thought you wanted to take a break for a while before we continued your lessons for today," he said.

"I know," the Elf said quickly, "But I, well, I wanted to know if it would be okay if I wrote a letter to my friends, and maybe the Order as well? Because, well, the Order told my Uncle that if they didn't hear from me in three days, they'd come to pick me up. I don't want them to worry."

"Of course you can, Harry," Severus said, watching as a brilliant smile lit up his charge's face.

Severus frowned lightly. "Just do one thing for me, Harry. Don't tell anyone about your being an Elf, or coming to stay with me, or anything else. Don't let on that anything is different from usual. Not even to Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger, okay?"

Harry nodded quickly. "Don't worry about that. I wasn't planning on telling them anyways."

Severus looked at him, puzzled. "Why? I thought you shared every one of your dirty little secrets with the other two thirds of Gryffindor's Golden Trio?"

Harry shrugged. "I dunno. I guess…I'm just tired of everyone making a fuss over me all the time. Ron would start off into a rant about how you're a Death Eater and you're going to hand me to Voldemort first chance you get. And then Hermione would go crazy and turn me into a giant research project. And as for Dumbledore…"

"He would blind you with the dread Twinkle-Eyes, send you back off to the Dursleys, then hide you away and put you through cruel, inhumane training to hone your newfound abilities for the defeat of Voldemort," Severus finished for him.

Harry smirked, "Yes, exactly."

"Harry," Severus said seriously, "I won't let him do that. I won't let him come anywhere near you if I can help it, and if that's what you want."

"Yeah, I know," Harry smirked. "You have too much fun putting me through cruel, inhumane training of your own, like the one from this morning, to let Dumbledore have me."

Severus smirked. "Insolent little Gryffindor," he growled, only half mocking.

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Block, kick, duck, block, strike, miss, duck, kick.

Severus was pushed back several feet by the powerful kick Harry hit to his side.

"Good!" the Tourniquet said, putting up an arm to block Harry's next blow. "Very good, Harry. You're getting the hang of this."

Harry had been at the Tourniquets' Manor for two weeks now. The young elf had spent most of his time either in his room reading the many books gathered there, or in the training room or library with Severus.

In the library, Severus would teach him Elven culture, including customs and traditions, music, art, religion, literature, and the language. He would teach Harry the history and politics of the Elves, and the science and anatomy of the Elven body. If he didn't know the differences between the Elven body and the Human one he grew up in, he was more likely to injure or poison himself by accident.

At the moment, they were in the training room, which Severus used to teach his charge about his magical and physical capabilities, Cullen watching curiously from off to the side.

Harry was unused to the rigorous training exercises, but he was quite determined to do his best, and was working himself damn near to exhaustion.

Unfortunately, Harry's enthusiasm was starting to hinder his ability to learn.

"You're swinging too wide!" Severus said chidingly and struck a blow to Harry's ribs that knocked the Elf flat. Severus stood straight, abandoning his fighting stance.

"That's enough for now, I think," he said, holding out a hand to help Harry up. The teen ignored it and pushed himself to his feet, frowning at his Tourniquet.

"I don't want to stop! I want to keep going!"

Severus suddenly dropped low to the ground, swinging his leg out and knocking Harry's feet out from under him. The Elf landed hard on his back. Severus rose again and crossed his arms across his chest.

"If you wished to continue, then you should have maintained the proper stance and stayed alert." Severus smirked down at the glaring teenager. Harry rolled to his feet and took on his fighting stance, his hands ready.

Severus' smirk faded and he raised an eyebrow. "I believe I said we are done," he said warningly.

Harry said nothing as he lunged forward, aiming a punch at Severus' face. The Tourniquet ducked under the blow and threw his arm back and to the side, catching Harry across the back of his shoulders and pushing him back down to the floor.

"Enough!" Severus roared. Harry froze in his sprawled out position on the floor, and Cullen whimpered and cowered down at his angry tone.

"We are finished with this sparring match, Harry," he continued in a soft, calm voice. "Go and get cleaned up, and then come down to the dining room for dinner."

Harry said nothing, but quickly got up and ran out of the training room to head up to his rooms for a shower, Cullen at his heels. Severus sighed and sat down on one of the chairs at the edge of the room.

The boy was smart, and a fast learner, but Merlin, was he stubborn! He just didn't know when to take a break. Severus had taken to carefully monitering Harry through their bond during the night to make sure he was getting enough sleep. More than once he had caught the Elf sitting up in bed so late it was early, reading.

Severus was also concerned because he and Harry hadn't had much oppurtunity to bond and get closer. Usually a Tourniquet was supposed to be a constant in their Bonded's life from day one. But with Harry, not only had they been separate for the majority of Harry's childhood, but at school, Severus had been forced to close off the bond and push the boy away. He had hurt him, harassed him, insulted everything from his intelligence to his family to his character. It was a wonder Harry could even look at him without hexing him.

It was going to be incredibly difficult to gain Harry's personal trust. While he knew from the thoughts and emotions filtering through the bond that Harry trusted him not to try and kill him, Severus had done a perfect job of alienating the boy during school. Harry had no trust for him during an up-close one-on-one confrontation. And what was worse, he didn't seem to want to.

When he wasn't being taught by Severus or eating in the Dining Room with everyone else, Harry avoided the Potions Master like the plague, staying shut up in his room. Occasionally Severus would take a glimpse through the bond at what Harry was doing in there. Most often he was reading, sometimes he was practicing with his new magical abilities, or sometimes he would be playing with Cullen.

Severus knew he had to find some way to get through and relate to the boy. Maybe a day off of training to go out and do something together…

Severus knew he had missed out on a great deal of Harry's life. He knew why he had had to do it, but that didn't stop him from feeling badly about it. He should've been there for his boy.

But he hadn't been.

Severus stood and headed up to his own rooms for a shower, determination in his steps.

He was here for Harry now. He would teach, protect, help, and take care of his charge from now on, if it was the last thing he did. He had to.

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Harry was playing with Cullen in his rooms when Severus walked in. Harry sat up from where he was sprawled unceremoniously on the floor and looked at his Tourniquet nervously. He was still not totally at ease with the Potions Master, and he was more than a little worried that his Tourniquet was still angry about their little spat earlier.

"Harry," the Tourniquet began, "We need to talk."

Harry stood warily and Severus led him over to the sitting area and seated himself in the easy chair. Harry sat stiffly down on the sofa.

He had noticed a very big change in the Potions Master since he came here two weeks before. At Hogwarts, he was Professor Snape; a cold, cruel man who took sadistic pleasure in tormenting children.

But here, as Severus the Tourniquet, he was calm and patient. When Severus taught Harry, he used a very different teaching style than he did as Professor Snape. In fact, if Harry was to compare Severus' teaching style to another Professor's, the closest he could come was Remus, when he had taught Harry the Patronus.

Perhaps it was simply because with both experiences it had been one-on-one, as opposed to the one-on-twenty or so students that spent most of their time talking and instigating fights with one another, like what Professor Snape had to deal with. Then again, Occlumency had been just as bad, and that had been one-on-one. It was all so confusing for Harry.

Harry was only just starting to realize that Severus and Professor Snape were two very different people, and that scared him a little. He was still having some trouble differentiating the two in his mind. Despite how different their attitudes were, the mind and personality behind the faces was the same: a clever, calculating Slytherin to the core. _'Maybe he just has Multiple Personality Disorder…' _Harry wondered.

The two sat in silence for a moment before Severus spoke again.

"I did tell you that I didn't want to see you agonizing over the Dark Lord, did I not?" he said in a neutral tone.

'_Oh, great. He's caught on and decided to try and guilt-trip me.'_ Harry squirmed in his seat before nodding. "You did."

"And you promised me you wouldn't work yourself to death. Correct?"

Again, Harry nodded.

Severus sighed. "And what having you been doing for the past two weeks?"

Harry fidgeted. "ummm…learning about my heritage?" he tried.

"Try again."

"Practicing using my magic?"

"Do stop trying my patience, Harry. I know what you've been up to."

Harry blinked and looked down at his lap, and Severus sighed again. "Harry, you promised me you wouldn't try and do this by yourself."

The young Elf tried to protest, but Severus cut him off midsentence.

"I didn't – "

"Harry, don't lie to me. I can sense your thoughts, remember?"

Harry sighed and slouched down in his seat admitting defeat. Severus frowned and leaned forward, putting a hand on Harry's arm.

"Harry, I told you, Voldemort is not your problem to worry about right now."

Harry muttered something under his breath. "What was that, Harry?"

"I said, yes, he is."

"Dammit, Harry, quit being the hero!" Severus snapped, "You're not even out of school yet. Why do you have this idea that it has to be you that finally beats him, anyway?"

"Because it _does _have to be me, okay? It just does! I don't like it anymore than you do, but I can't stop it. I don't want this. I never wanted it." Harry drew his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around his legs. "I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"Harry…" Severus stopped gather back his self-control. Not only was Severus feeling bad for Harry, he was also experiencing Harry's emotions in a back corner of his mind. Normally Harry's emotions were nothing more than a soft hum in the back of his head, but now they were so powerful they were overriding Severus own emotions.

'_Note to self, teach Harry Occlumency. Really soon,'_ he thought to himself.

Severus stoodand went to sit down on the couch. He hesitated, then wrapped his arms around Harry and held the young Elf to him. Harry stiffened slightly as Severus hugged him.

Severus sat that way for a moment before speaking up again. "Harry, I don't know why you have this idea that you have to be the hero. I'm guessing Dumbledore is behind it?"

He looked to Harry for confirmation, tilting his head back so he could see the Elf's face. Harry's eyes were glowing brightly with his magic, and he nodded.

"He told me…he told me that there was this prophecy. Trelawney made it a little while before I was born. That was what Voldemort tried to take from the Department of Mysteries last June. But during the fight it was smashed. No one heard what it said.

"Afterwards, in Dumbledore's office, he told me that he had been the one to hear the prophecy. He showed it to me with his Pensieve. Basically, it said that at the end of July, someone with the power to defeat Voldemort would be born to parents who had faced and escaped him three times. That would mean that it was either Neville, or me.

"But it also said that Voldemort would 'mark him as his equal.' Dumbledore took that to mean the night he gave me my scar. The rest of the prophecy went on to say that in the end, one of us will have to kill the other. It'll come down to me versus Voldemort, and only one will survive."

Severus stared at him. "Let me see?" he asked. Harry hesitated before nodding his consent.

Severus raised his hand to Harry's face and closed the Elf's eyes, putting a finger and a thumb over his eyelids. He felt through the bond and entered Harry's mind.

Swiftly, he sought out and viewed the memory. He frowned as he watched. Something about that prophecy was off. The aura colour was distorted, the usual pale blue associated with memories was tinted with a slight lavender colour.

He pulled back out and waited for Harry to open his eyes again before speaking.

"Harry," he said slowly and seriously, "I think that you should know, that memory he showed you was doctored."

Harry stared at him. "What? What do you mean, doctored? Are you telling me he changed what the prophecy said?"

Severus nodded. "I've never heard that prophecy before, but I can tell it was an altered version. I don't know what the original may have said. However, I do know that it is unimportant.

"A prophecy only gives us a glimpse of the future and points out warning signs. It is not a guidebook. Exact knowledge of future events is virtually impossible. Every decision we make, down to what we eat for breakfast and what color robes we decide to wear in the morning, can drastically alter events to come. So don't fret over it, alright?"

Harry looked down at his lap and nodded.

"Judging from the fact that the recording of the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries had you and the Dark Lord's names on it, along with Trelawney's and Dumbledore's initials, I'd say that the prophecy was indeed made by Trelawney to Dumbledore, and was probably about you and the Dark Lord.

"However, I don't think that it is meant to be that you and you alone are to face off with him. That's a ridiculous assumption. Do you really think that your friends would let you fight him alone?"

Harry considered this, then shook his head.

Severus put a finger under Harry's chin and lifted his head so Harry was facing him. "Harry, you don't think that _I_ would let you fight him alone, do you?"

Harry frowned. "I don't know yet. I know that you have been very different these past two weeks from your usual behavior at school, and I know that you are my Tourniquet. I know that you have saved me countless times before, like during the Quidditch matches my first year. I know that there are reasons for why you acted the way you did.

"But I still don't really know you well enough to trust you fully. The way you've been acting the whole time we've been here, it's been almost like I've just met you for the first time. You're just…a totally different person. It's…confusing, to say the least."

Severus nodded his understanding, and Harry continued. "I think that with time and experience working together, I can begin to trust you fully and perhaps think of you as a more than just the grumpy old Potions Master," Severus glared lightly at this.

"But for now, I refuse to say anything one way or the other."

Severus nodded again. "Again, another wise decision Harry.

"But the fact remains that you will not be facing off with Voldemort alone. For one thing, like I said before, you have many friends that I know would tie you up and put you under the Imperious Curse before they let you go fight him by yourself. For another, I doubt that the Wizards will be the only ones fighting him for much longer. The other Great Races are starting to have heavy losses from Death Eater attacks as well. It is only a matter of time before it becomes an all-out war between the Races."

Just then, Harry sat up straight, his eyes widened. "OH! That reminds me! I almost forgot!"

He scrambled up and ran over to his bookshelves, where there was a large stack of books that he had pulled out and been reading on the top. Severus sat on the couch, confused, while Harry started searching through the pile, speaking to his Tourniquet over his shoulder as he looked.

"I was going to ask you about this earlier, but I kept on forgetting. I was looking through this book on ritual magic when I found this spell – just…here!"

He came back over to the couch, flipping through a thick old tome, the pages yellowed with age. He found the page he had been looking for and handed the book to Severus.

_**The Summoning of the Gathering**_

_This ancient spell is a means of unifying the Great Races of the realm of Gaea during a time of war. It will summon forth ten beings who will be known from then on as the Gathering. Each Gathered is a representative of the different creatures of the Gaea. These ten beings will include the caster and nine others, each from a different one of the Great Races, that the Powers That Be have deemed worthy of the cause. It is a great honor to be chosen as one of the Gathered. If these ten beings can unite, then they will have the strength to defeat their enemy and bring peace to Gaea once more._

_Because he is the one to summon them, the caster of the spell becomes the leader of the group. Once summoned, the members of the Gathering will begin to feel a sensation called the Pull, which is really a magical force influencing them to find and join the others. However, the Leader of the Gathered must be the one to find them all. When doing the spell to summon them, the Leader is shown who the other members of the Gathered are and where to find them._

_The spell requires a clear crystal to focus the energy and ten white candles, one for each member. As each Gathered is chosen, their candle will turn the color associated with their race._

_The colour association stands thus:_

_Human: Red_

_Elf: Purple_

_Giant: Grey_

_Mermaid: Blue_

_Centaur: Red-Orange_

_Veela: Gold_

_Werewolf: Brown_

_Fairy: Pink_

_Vampire: Black_

_Dwarf: Tan_

_Nymph: Light Green_

_Leprechaun: Dark Green_

_Shapeshifter: Yellow_

_Ghost: Cream_

_Poltergeist: Orange_

_Faun: Teal_

_Satyr: Copper _

_Goblin: Lavender _

_House Elf: Peach_

_Tourniquet: Silver_

_The candles are arranged equidistantly from eachother and from the crystal, forming a circle with the crystal in the exact center…_

From there on the passage went into a detailed play-by-play recording of the entire ritual procedure.

Severus looked up from the book. "Yes, I've heard of this spell before. What about it?"

"Don't you get it?" Harry said incredulously. "That could be what we need to defeat Voldemort!"

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End chapter 3.

Oh, man was this chapter a bitch to write. Let it be known, I _hate_ writing textbook exerpts with a passion.

I apologize profoundly for the terribly long wait, and I'm not going to try and make excuses. Instead, I'll just give everyone digital cookies, candies, presents, glomps, and kisses for waiting so patiently, and thanks so much to everyone who added The Gathering to their alerts, favorites, and C2 lists, as well as to my wonderful reviewers for the first two chapters, which includes: **angel of death, Beth5572, harry-an-ginny, Persephone of Peridot, Velox Agentum,Shadow Lighthawk, Morath Isil Durunya, JellyFish72, Eternal Rhapsody,Obsidian-Dragon-Phoenix, HecateDeMort, Lyric Z D, DebsTheSnapeFan, Catty Lynn, Evergreen Sceptre, Susan Potter, Elentari Elbereth, Gen. Kavik, ILoveFlitwick, Katja, pickledweasel, Mikee, FireChildSlytherin5, scardi, jbuggenz1, JuMiKu, proline, Blue Werewolf Boy, jabarber69, animewolfgurl, danjana, Texas Dragon, Olaf74, Sarah R Potter, Eowyn23, yournombrehere, **and**Athania**. I love you all bunches, and I hope this new chapter was up to scratch.

Also, an enormous thank you to my loverly friend, **pickledweasel**, who agreed to beta this chapter for me. Love you, hon


	4. Finding

Author's Note: Violence. Language. AU after Order of the Phoenix.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine.

_Italicized writing is people thinking, memories, passages from books, etc._

I only have one word to add since last time. I **_really_** loathe writer's block.

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_Severus looked up from the book. "Yes, I've heard of this spell before. What about it?"_

"_Don't you get it?" Harry said incredulously. "That could be what we need to defeat Voldemort!"_

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Ch 4) Finding the Others

"No. Absolutely not."

Harry's brow furrowed as he tried to persuade his Tourniquet. "But Severus, I wouldn't be alone when I fought him, then. It says right in the book, it's for uniting the Races as a group. It will be the perfect way to get Voldemort once and for all."

Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Harry, I'm all for that. Pretty much anything that will get rid of the Dark Lord, I will support. It's just that ritual magic is generally very difficult, high power, and most importantly of all, extremely draining magic. It's a highly, highly advanced branch of spells. Many people have had their magic sucked dry by ritual spells. They spend all their magical core trying to complete them. Total magical depletion is fatal for Elves, you should know that by now. Do you wish to die?"

"No, but I…I just thought…" he drew back slightly before shutting the book and bringing it back over to the shelf, putting it on top of the stack of books. "It doesn't matter," he said shortly. "Forget it."

"Harry," Severus said quickly, standing up from his chair. He went over to the bookcase, putting his hands on Harry's shoulders and turning him around, looking him in the eye. "Listen to me, Harry. The spell is a very good idea, and we can still use it. Just, not you, and not right now. You've only just begun to learn about Elves and your magics; you're not ready yet. Not for something of this magnitude."

Harry stared at him for a moment before nodding.

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After that their lessons continued as per usual. By the time three weeks had passed since his birthday, Harry had gotten his magical ability under control, for the most part. Occasionally, mostly when he was distracted or tired, part of him would turn incorporeal or invisible without him meaning to. The worst occurence was when one morning on his way to breakfast, he had been just leaving his room and his hand turned incorporeal as he was reaching for the doorknob. His hand went straight through the door, turning solid again on the other side. His wrist was still incorporeal and in the middle of the door, effectively causing his hand to be stuck on the other side of the door.

Besides the spontaneous disappearing acts his body parts kept playing on him, Harry had almost gained control over when and what he would turn invisible or incorporeal, though he was far from mastering it. He still had some incidents, but not as commonly as before. However, he had yet to manage turning his entire body invisible or incorporeal at once. Severus assured him that soon he would be able to control the power to it's full extent without even thinking about it.

He had finally begun to become accustomed to the rigorous training exercises, and was doing better, slowly but surely becoming faster, stronger, more agile, and more accurate in his blocks, dodges, and attacks. Severus had told him that if he kept up at this rate, he'd be ready to start weapons training some time in September.

He was also learning to use his tail as a sort of third arm. It was very sensitive to touch, almost more so than his hands, but it was also very strong. Part of the equipment in the training room consisted of a set of monkey bars, which he had been using to practice using his tail to support his weight and climb around. At one point during a sparring match with Severus, Harry had even used his tail without thinking about it to help throw the Tourniquet over his head when Severus had used a jump kick. The Potions Master had praised the use of his tail and told him to keep working with it.

As for his language and culture lessons, Harry had been soaking those up like a sponge. This kind of learning, about people, was what Harry found most interesting about the lessons; not what they did of historical notice, but who they were, and how they lived their daily lives.

The Elvish language however, was giving him some trouble. Harry was having difficulty figuring out the differences in grammar and sentence structure between Elvish and English. The flow of the words and statements felt off in his mouth. Severus had told him that once he learned to speak without his current English structuring of syllables and sounds and placement of words in a sentence, the Elvish would come more naturally. Severus had asked that Harry speak as much Elvish as he could whenever possible, instead of English. Constant use of the language, Severus said, would help him to memorize it, and show him that it wasn't just random sounds. They were actual words, with a meaning, a purpose. With regular usage of the words in his daily routine, Harry began to pick up words and phrases faster, though it was still slow going.

Severus had not yet begun teaching Harry to read and write the Elvish runes and letters, something the young Elf was eager to do. The sooner he learned those, and the language, the sooner Harry could start reading the books in the library and his room that were written only in Elvish. Severus, however, felt that his charge had enough on his plate at the moment, and told Harry firmly that he would teach him to read the Elf-runes when he had a better grasp of how the language was supposed to sound.

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One afternoon, just after finishing their history lesson, Harry approached Severus to talk about something that had been hovering on his mind lately.

"Sir?" Harry said tentatively as Severus was replacing the books they had used that day on their proper shelves.

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" the Tourniquet snapped without looking up.

"Sorry," Harry said softly, withdrawing again.

"What is it, Harry?" Severus said in a gentler voice.

Harry froze, debating with himself about whether or not this was a good idea before saying quickly, "Never mind, it's not important. I'll just go."

He turned to go but stopped and turned back when Severus called after him. "It's alright, Harry, you needn't worry. I apologize for snarling at you like that. What was it that you needed?"

The young Elf sighed and braced himself before saying softly, "I just wanted…to apologize."

Severus blinked. Cautiously, he felt along the bond, trying to get an idea of what was going on. He felt guilt, and nervousness, and a large amount of trepidation. "Whatever for?" he asked in response to Harry's statement.

"For looking into your pensieve last year."

Severus' face became a blank mask at first, and he withdrew from the bond sharply. Then he relaxed, leaving behind a weary expression. He sighed and motioned for Harry to seat himself at the library desk. The Elf did so, and the Tourniquet seated himself on the edge of the table, stretching his legs out in front of him and folding his arms across his chest. They sat silently for a moment, both lost in thought, trying to figure out where to begin.

Finally, Severus broke the silence. "Harry, I feel I must apologize for that evening as well. I did overreact by throwing things at you, and I am sorry. However, you must understand; pensieves are extremely personal items. A pensieve is like an extension of your own mind. It's sort of extra room, if you will, for things that you need to get out of the forefront of your mind, so that they do not plague you at inopportune moments. To enter a person's pensieve uninvited is like taking a glance through their head with Legilimency without permission. The difference is that because it is separate from the mind, it is impossible to block an intruder there. What you did that night was a serious invasion of my privacy, and whatever the reason you may have for entering my pensieve without my permission, there is absolutely no acceptible excuse."

Harry nodded, unable to look up at his Tourniquet.

"Harry," Severus said softly, continuing once the Elf looked up, "I am not trying to justify my actions from that night. I am trying to teach you something. Do you understand?"

Harry stared at him a moment before nodding. "I know," he said quietly. "I know what I did was wrong. That's why I am apologizing. I had no right to go in there at all. I know that there is no excuse for my behavior. All I can do is say that I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted, Harry," Severus said, and the young Elf gave him a tentative smile. "Will you accept my own apology for losing my temper that night?"

"You had every right to, Severus. But yes, I accept your apology."

"All's forgiven then?" at Harry's nod, Severus gave a small smile of his own. "Good. Then perhaps you wouldn't mind starting up Occlumency lessons again."

Harry groaned and dropped his head down against the desk with a dull thud. "How did I know you were going to say that?" he mumbled.

Severus just smirked. "Oh, come, Harry! It's not that bad! You weren't exactly applying yourself. If you'd actually attempt to do what I told you to – "

"That's just it though!" Harry said hotly, lifting his head from the table, "You weren't telling me! You didn't do anything except yell 'clear your mind!' before casting bloody Legilimens!"

"Apparently you can't even listen to simple instructions! During the very first lesson, I told you everything you needed to know in order to learn Occlumency!" Severus snarled back, eyes flashing, "How do you expect to learn to do anything for yourself if I have to walk you through everything in baby steps? I told you everything you needed to know on the first night! You need to actually use your brain and try to work it out!"

The two stared at one another, breathing heavily, Severus looking paler than usual, Harry flushed with anger. Finally, Severus heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "Very well, then. I'll try and make it a little clearer if you actually put in some effort. Deal?" He held out a hand, which Harry eyed warily, his eyes narrowing in thought before grasping it tightly and shaking.

"Deal," the Elf confirmed.

Severus nodded, his eyes not leaving Harry's. "Good. Go take a break. Your first Occlumency lesson will begin in one hour, and we both know we won't be able to work together if we are angry at each other."

Harry needed no further encouragement, and swiftly left the library.

Slowly, his hands shaking with suppressed anger, Severus sank into one of the chairs and laid his head down on the library desk. He took in several deep calming breaths. He really needed to learn not to lose his temper with the boy. Harry's and his relationship was still strained at best; if he wanted to repair the damage to their bond, then he had to keep control of himself. Yes, he was under a lot of stress, what with Dumbledore, and Voldemort, and having Harry finally brought home, but taking it out on his charge would only prove counter-productive.

Scanning the bond lightly, he found that Harry was venting his own frustration by furiously beating the stuffing out of one of the punching bags in the training room. Severus smirked slightly. At least the boy was dealing with his anger rather than letting it simmer.

He sighed again, and a frown appeared on his face as he considered the mess the both of them were in. They had five years of anger and hatred between the two of them to work through; some of it faked or exaggerated, some of it very much real. Of late, Severus didn't know if they would ever be able to work through everything. Some days they would be able to work through Harry's lessons peaceably, even pleasantly. Other days, like today, they seemed constantly at each other's throats. Why couldn't things ever be simple?

Quite suddenly, Severus realized he wasn't alone at the table, and he looked up to see Torrance sitting in the chair across from him, head propped up on his arm and a soft smirk playing on his face.

"Trouble in paradise, Severus?" the other Tourniquet asked.

Severus sneered at him, then sighed, looking away from Torrance out the window.

"What's the problem now?" Torrance asked him.

"Nothing that I can't take care of myself," Severus growled.

"Ooh, someone's grumpy today."

Severus rolled his eyes, and the two of them fell silent for several long minutes before, slowly, quietly, Severus began to speak again.

"I just don't know what we're going to do. Harry…I haven't made things easy for him at Hogwarts. I had to, but even if he understands that, and understands why, it doesn't change the fact that it still is a large influence on our attitudes towards one another. We can't seem to establish a stable relationship. It used to be, I terrorize him and the other students, he hates me and grumbles under his breath, I give him detention, he hates me even more. Now, I'm having to repair that damage and get closer to Harry, but because of my initial behavior towards him, I can't get him to open up to me at all."

"So what exactly was the issue at this time?" Torrance cut in, "Clear up one mess at a time, and little by little you'll get the entire thing clean"

Severus frowned at the interruption, but decided not to comment in favor of answering the question. "If you must know, we were arguing about the schematics of last years Occlumency lessons, determining why they were so disastrous."

"Ah, I see. Young Harry was unable to grasp how to go about avoiding your little mind-reading while you cheated and used your bond with him to your advantage, so you deemed him 'incompetent'," the other Tourniquet said with a smirk.

Severus bristled at the comment. "I did not cheat, thank you very much! And for the last time, Legillimency -"

"Is not mind-reading. Yes, Severus, I know," Torrance finished for him. "Please continue your rant."

Severus threw him a dirty look and was about to refuse, but Torrance waved his hand. "Go on." Severus sighed and continued, staring moodily at the library table top.

"Then there's the Dark Lord. I think he's beginning to suspect that I don't support him. I know that now that I have to be here for Harry I have an excuse to give up my post as spy and stop going to meetings, but the information that I gather is important. And as for Dumbledore…" he trailed off, then snorting, shaking his head before he continued. "I honestly have no idea of what is going on there. I am quite certain that Harry has no intentions of letting Dumbledore control him, but that doesn't make the Headmaster any less dangerous. He wields a lot of power, not only in his magic, but in the populace of the wizarding world's faith and trust in him. It won't be easy on the boy to openly announce that he does not support the Headmaster."

Torrance sat quietly throughout Severus rant, knowing that the other Tourniquet needed the release. "It all just seems to go in one big circle," he commented, "Start with Harry, switch to Voldemort, move on to Dumbledore, which in turn leads right back to Harry."

"Yes," Severus said, "and it is driving me insane! I can't get my mind to calm, it's just this whirling circle over and over again, all these situations that I am unsure of what to do about!"

"If I were you," Torrance said thoughtfully, "I would, first of all, stop going to Death Eater meetings. Cut out the issue of Voldemort entirely."

"Can't," Severus said distractedly, "Harry is hell-bent on being the one to finally bring him down - again - and I am unsure if I will be able to convince him to see reason."

"Secondly," Torrance continued as though Severus had never said anything, "You can just get it over with and tell Dumbles you and Harry aren't his toy soldiers to play with anymore, and get on with your lives the way you see fit, and sic the Tourniquet Council on his ass if he tries anything. You are, after all, Harry's legal guardian, according to both Elven and Tourniquet law, and his pathetic Human ministry cannot counter any of that. Or, you can pull Harry out of Hogwarts, quit your job there, and just stay here at the Manor for the rest of the time it will take for Harry to master his abilities. You could also do a combination of the two. Or just lay low for a while and see how things pan out in the end.

"And thirdly, concerning Harry, these things do take time. It takes a while to form a true longlasting friendship with someone you've never met before, let alone someone you had made a pretense of hating for the past several years. Just give it some time. Get to know him, let him get to know you, and if a problem arises, deal with it. Be sure you have set right - not just explained away - any previous issues between you."

Severus closed his eyes and started to massage his temples. "You make it sound so easy."

"It is easy. It just doesn't seem like it to you. That's because you're in the middle of not one, but three (possibly more than that) enormous problems right now."

Severus snorted. "Oh, no, I beleive this is only the beginning."

"Fine, it's the beginning of the middle. Satisfied?" Serverus smirked, but did not open his eyes. Torrance looked at him closely before daring to speak his next words aloud.

"Trista would've been proud of you for managing as well as you have, considering what a mess you made for yourself over the past couple of years."

Severus stiffened at the softly spoken words. "Yes..." he muttered, not moving, "I suppose she would've."

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By the time Harry had returned downstairs to the library, both Elf and Tourniquet had calmed enough to be able to work together peacefully.

That is not to say that they did.

"Okay, so how are we going to do this? You going to just yell something confusing and start casting spells on me?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Shut up and listen, will you?"

"Listening."

Severus rolled his eyes before beginning. "I'll begin by repeating what I told you during your first lesson.

"The art of being able to enter someones mind and find their emotions and memories is called Legilimency - "

"Yes, Severus, I know that bit already."

"Would you let me finish?" Severus growled, "You're the one who insisted I didn't make it clear enough the first time, after all..."

Harry shot him a dirty look but said nothing. After a moment, Severus continued. "Now, Legilimency is difficult to manage properly, requiring a lot of skill to pinpoint what you wish to view. The situation the spell is used in can affect it greatly, as it take a good deal of concentration. It would be easier to cast it during a one-on-one confrontation than, say, on the battlefield. The condition of the person the spell is cast upon can also help or hinder the process. For example, when the person is asleep, sick, wounded, panicked, weak, or mentally ill, it will be easier to break in as the mind is more relaxed and/or not as capable of blocking intrusion. If the person is alert and functional, and has an organized mind, it is harder to break into the mind, and if you do manage it, it is harder to stay that way.

"Also, even if you are able to break past whatever barriers the person may have guarding their mind, you then must search through the mind until you find what it is you are looking for.

"The aforementioned barrier is part of Occlumency. It is a form of defense, a mental wall, between the mind and the would-be intruder. Because it would be both more difficult and dangerous to close off the entire mind, it is common practice to place blocks only around what needs protection."

"Why would that be dangerous?" Harry asked, his brow creased.

"Think about it for a moment Harry, and you tell me."

Harry bit his lip, thinking, and finally looked at Severus with a baffled expression. "No idea."

Severus stood and went over to the chair Harry was sitting in. "Stand up a moment."

Confused, Harry complied, and was slightly startled when Severus grabbed his upper arm and led away from the chair and over to an open area. "Stand here. I wish to show you something. Just don't move, alright?"

Harry nodded slowly, wondering just what Severus was planning. He watched his Tourniquet step back a few paces before drawing his wand, aiming it at Harry. The Elf tensed, but before he could react Severus had cast his spell.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Harry felt his stomach drop as he abruptly found himself jerked up to float in the air. "Shit! Severus, what the hell did you do that for?" he exclaimed, startled.

"Just trust me," Severus said before waving his wand once more, muttering a spell under his breath. The next thing Harry knew, the room seemed to have turned pitch black, but since he knew it was midday and there were floor-to-ceiling windows in the library, he realized that the spell must have blinded him somehow. "Severus?" Harry asked nervously. What was the Tourniquet doing? What was going on?

"It'll be alright Harry. I promise," came Severus' calm deep voice.

And then the world fell silent.

Harry stiffened, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, he tried to call for his Tourniquet, but found he could not hear his own voice. _Great, first blind, now deaf,_ Harry thought to himself, fighting of a swell of panic. He couldn't hear or see anything. Cautiously, he put his arm out in front of him, trying to feel if there was anything coming at him, but there was nothing there. He could feel nothing around him. He felt as though he had been sucked into a great black void, bereft of anything to anchor him.

_'Harry?'_ came Severus' soft voice in his mind, and Harry nearly cried with relief. Seizing hold of this link to the outside world, he desperately replied.

_'Severus! What the hell! Why'd you do that?'_

_'Do you get why it can be dangerous to sever all outside influences now?'_

_'No! All I get is that not being able to see or hear or feel anything sucks!'_

_'Exactly,' _said Severus, sounding pleased.

_'Huh?'_ was Harry's oh-so eloquent response, and the next thing he knew, he was crumpled on the library floor, a loud rush of sounds reaching his ears and a blinding whirl of colorful shapes making his head spin. A hand grasped his shoulder, and immediately Harry latched onto it with both of his own.

"Harry?" said a voice that seemed very loud for such softly spoken words, "Are you alright?"

Harry nodded and sucked in several deep breathes, as though he had been starved of air.

"Not pleasant, is it? To have no way of gaining knowlege of your surroundings, to know nothing of what is going on?"

Harry shook his head vigorously, looking up and struggling to focus his eyes on the ebony-colored eyes watching him. "What exactly was the point of that?" he asked.

"Sight, sound, touch...all five of the senses, really, are influences of the outside world, brought to the brain from the eyes, the ears, etcetera. If you were to sheild you mind from _all_ outside influences, it would not matter which are considered friendly and which unwelcome. All would be severed. And it is much more difficult to repair and restore than to take away. By putting a barrier around you entire mind, you risk cutting off your own contact with the world, effectively disabling you, leaving you at your opponent's mercy. That is why you must never sheild your entire mind."

Harry nodded, thinking this over.

Severus rose to his feet, pulling his charge up with him and leading him back over to the chair and sitting him down in it.

"Since it is so risky to place a block around the entire mind, it is best to protect only the memories and the emotions. And since there are so many of those, it is advisable to only place protection on those that make a difference. For instance, if your opponent is trying to see what your weakness is, then it is likely it will not matter if he knows what color of socks you put on yesterday. However, if you have a memory of a time that you had made a mistake that caused you to be beaten, then you would want to hide that away, so that he could not use that information against you."

"Okay, so let me run through this real quick, and make sure I've got it. It's dangerous to put blocks on the whole mind, and it is more difficult the more things you try to hide. If the information is irrelevant, you shouldn't bother hiding it."

"Right."

Harry blinked. "All that talking for just a few sentences worth of information?"

"You're the one who said I needed to give more detail," Severus said, raising an eyebrow, "If you don't like it, then we can always move straight on to actually practicing -"

"No!" Harry said quickly, and Severus smirked inwardly, "No, that's okay, keep going. Alright, so I know _what_ to protect, now, _how_ do I protect it?"

"You must create a barrier. Keep in mind, the things at the forefront of your mind - the ones you are thinking of right now - are the ones that will be viewed first. Now, while Occlumency is considered 'magic' a better term for it would be simply strength of mind, or psychic power. You use your brain to push out the intruder, not your magic. Perhaps push a harmless memory that will not reveal anything to the forefront of your mind, so they are forced to view that. Control what they see. This is sometimes better than merely pushing them out as it spends less energy, and is more subtle - if done properly, they will beleive that you do not have the information they seek.

"The hard part of Occlumency, and this, I believe, is what is preventing you from mastering it, is that it requires complete attention and concentration. You _must not_ let yourself be distracted. The easiest way to get someone sidetracked is to use their emotions. Do you remember what I taught you in physical and magical defense about that?"

"Emotion is a double-edged sword. While it can increase the drive to win, it can also hinder the process. If someone becomes angry, their attacks become more sporadic and wild. Staying calm will help keep your precision and control intact, enabling you to strike where you want to hit them with greater accuracy and power," Harry repeated from memory.

"Very good. The same rule applies to mental defense. It is so much more difficult in this branch of defense because you are being shown memories that may make you happy, sad, upset, fearful, or angry, all of which can distract you from your goal."

"Right," Hary said, looking thoughtful. "So in physical and magical we just have to ignore whatever taunts they throw at us and concentrate on blocks and attack rather than what you can say in response. So what do you do to ignore what's being shoved right in your face?"

"It is similar to resisting the Imperious, as I told you before. Imperious wipes clean any worries or fears from your conscious mind, replacing it with a fog of happiness, so that you will do whatever you are told. It uses emotion to control you. You have to think for yourself, and not let your feelings control your actions. Concentrate on what needs to be done," Severus advised.

"I remember Moody - well, the fake one, at least - said that it's better not to get hit with Imperio at all than to try and fight it off."

"He's right. The same applies to any spell really. That's a bit obvious. But in any case, to avoid having to fight off a Legilimens at all, try not to maintain eye contact with known wizards capable of Legilimency for any period of time. Remember, eye contact makes the whole spell easier; even most masters of Legilimency need that link to accomplish the spell. Luckily it is a difficult enough magic that only a very few people can manage it at all. Dumbledore, Voldemort, and myself you already know of. I believe Kingsley Shacklebolt is mildly proficient in that area, and Lucius Malfoy seems to have a talent for it. Amelia Bones, in the Ministry, is capable of it. One of my old teachers, a witch named Kim Brooke, knew how to use it. That's about it, as far as I know."

Harry nodded. "Still," Severus continued, "even if you don't know for certain that someone is using Legilimency on you, it is best to keep a general sheild about memories and feelings that could prove treacherous, just in case, as well as to make it easier if you are attacked. That way you just have to strengthen and reinforce the block, instead of building it from scratch."

"Right. So to do Occlumency, I basically just have to stay focused, bury what I don't want them to see, and push safe memories and thoughts to the front for them to look at? What about this 'barrier' you keep harping on about?"

"I'm getting to that. The one part of Occlumency that does use magic is the barrier. It's quite simple really. You place a layer of magic around the memories. When someone tries to view that memory, it is almost as though it isn't even there."

"Okay..." Harry said after a moment. The two fell silent, lost in thought. Finally Severus glanced up at the clock and sighed.

"Dinner is in about a half an hour. I'd hoped to get to the practical part of the lesson, but I suppose we'll have to reconvene at another time."

Harry nodded, and with Severus leading, they exited the library. Harry started to go up to his room to get cleaned up for dinner, but Severus stopped him.

"I just wanted to apologize if I scared you earlier. It would have muted the point of the lesson if I had told you what I was going to do."

"It's alright, si- Severus," Harry said, giving a lopsided grin. "I've had worse done to me." He turned around and walked down the hall to the stairs.

Severus, however, stood still by the door, fighting back a wave of rage at the world that swept over him at Harry's words. No child should have to be put through such trials as Harry had been. How dare they place such a burden on his shoulders! It wasn't fair!

_'But then, of course, life's not fair,'_ Severus thought snidely to himself. He sighed and let his shoulders slump, leaning back against the wall as he felt the rage drain away. It was quickly replaced by sorrow at the cruelty of the world, wrapping around him in its cold, comforting embrace.

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Throughout the entire week after Harry had proposed the Summoning ritual, both Tourniquet and Elf avoided the topic, not bringing it up at all. However, despite his feigned disinterest, Harry still didn't give up on the idea of the Gathering. The way Harry figured it, the sooner it was called together, the sooner Voldemort could be defeated, and the sooner he could get to a normal life. He just wanted it all over and done with. So, even though Severus had forbidden it, Harry started planning how to go about it.

After the night he suggested they use the Ritual, Severus had confiscated the book, hiding it away. It actually hadn't been hidden all that well. Harry had been able to locate where the book was hidden fairly quickly, though he left it there so as not to give Severus any reason to suspect something was up. Instead, he wrote down everything that was written for the spell and snuck away before Severus caught him. He supposed that Severus thought him too Gryffindor to think of betraying his trust to put the book in a better hiding spot. It was times like this that Harry was almost glad that he'd never told anyone he'd almost been sorted into Slytherin.

The supplies he needed were easy enough; the workroom where Severus had been working on potions with him had a well-stocked cabinet, filled with not just potion ingredients, but other supplies for doing magic. Everything he needed was in there, except for one piece; a focusing crystal. It needed to be a specific size, stone, and crystal-form, and they did not have any that were a close enough match. He didn't know how he could get that, or where. Still, Harry had gathered all the other supplies and ingredients and hid them in a bottomless bag in a secret compartment he had found in the fireplace of his room. He could use the training room to do the ritual.

Of course, all of this sneaking around made Harry slightly guilty that he was betraying Severus' trust. Regardless of the fact it was Snape, the fact remained that the Tourniquet was acting on faith alone, trusting his word to not try the spell. It made him feel as though he were being selfish and spoiled. But he could live with that if it meant ending the war.

He had read up on Familiars and discovered that they helped their master by stockpiling and storing magical energy that could then be reused later. After figuring out how much was safe for Cullen to hold, Harry started saving up some magic. This was just in case, an emergency supply should he exhaust his own during the ritual.

Besides the crystal he needed, everything was ready. He also needed to wait until Severus was out of the house; it was too risky to do it with the Tourniquet there. He did not want to be interrupted in the middle of the spell.

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It was one week before the school term was due to start when Harry's Hogwarts letter finally arrived, containing his list of school supplies. They were having breakfast when the letter came, the school owl leaving as soon as it's job was done. After reading through the letter and book list, Harry put it in Severus' waiting hand.

"We'll go shopping for school supplies tomorrow." Severus said, glancing over the book and supply list.

"Where? Diagon Alley?" Harry asked, "Isn't that a little crowded?"

Severus nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "Actually, we'll probably be able to get most of these right here at home. However, we will need to go to Diagon Alley to find a few obscure items and get some money out of your Gringotts account, and we are _definitely_ getting you some new clothes. We should've done that weeks ago," he said. Harry nodded in agreement. While there had been a few sets of clothing in the wardrobe of Harry's room, he still needed some more suitable clothing for school and for general use.

"Oh, one more thing, Harry," Severus said, setting down his coffee mug. Harry sucked in a breath. Had the Tourniquet figured out what he was planning?

"Tomorrow evening I have a meeting with Dumbledore and the Order, so you'll be by yourself during that time. If you need me, just open up the mental bond and talk to me. Though, do try to contact me only if it's an emergency. I will be in a meeting, after all.

"I don't know exactly how long I'll be gone. Most likely a couple of hours. I'll have to leave around eight PM," he said.

"Alright, then," Harry said, turning his attention back to his bacon. Inside, though, Harry was smiling. What perfect timing! While Severus was at the Order meeting, he could do the Ritual spell and be finished by the time he got back.

"That eager to get rid of me, are you?" Severus said suddenly.

Harry felt his heart skip a beat, and he stared at the Potions Master, eyes wide.

"I can still sense your emotions, Harry," he said chidingly. "What's got you so happy all of a sudden?"

Harry stared down at his plate as he fought back the wave of panic, trying to calm himself. Boy, was he ever getting paranoid about this stupid Ritual.

"Harry?" He looked back up. Severus was looking at him, frowning concernedly. "Are you alright? Your awfully jumpy this morning. Is something wrong?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm fine," he said. "I just haven't slept well the past few nights. So what will we do today?"

Severus could tell he was changing the subject, but decided to let the matter drop for now. He didn't want to push too hard and get on Harry's bad side. He could tell something was up though, and resolved to keep a close eye on his charge to try and figure out what he was plotting.

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The next day they rose early, dressing and eating quickly. Before flooing to the Leaky Cauldron, Severus handed Harry a small potion vial.

"This potion," he said, "Will allow you to change your appearance for a few hours. I would rather us be as inconspicuous as possible. Also, until we get some new clothing for you, I'm going to request that you wear a cloak to cover up those rags. They'd be rather noticeable in crowds of appearance-conscious witchs and wizards."

Harry pulled the stopper out of the potion and eyed the teal contents warily. He sniffed it carefully, trying to detect what may be in it.

"Oh, come now, Harry!" Severus said impatiently. "If I was going to poison you do you really think I would wait three weeks before doing so?"

Harry said nothing, but shot him a grumpy look before downing the contents. A slight tingle swept through his scalp and face, and when he opened his eyes and glanced in the mirror hanging on the wall, he could no longer recognize himself as the Boy-Who-Lived.

His hair was now a light brown instead of black. Since his transformation, it finally lay flat naturally, appearing much longer than before, covering both his scar and the new, long, pointed shape of his ears. His eyes, no longer in need of his old trademark glasses, had also been turned brown, a warm chocolate color. Overall, the potion combined with his own new features made him look like a totally new person.

A thought occurred to Harry, and he voiced it immediately.

"Severus? How are we going to hide my tail?"

The Tourniquet smirked as he replied. "Well, even though it wouldn't really be questioned _too_ much in the Wizarding World, it could still gather some unwanted attention. Therefore we will be using this as more than just a shopping trip. Consider this a pop-quiz for your Elf-magic training, Harry."

The Elf blinked, and Severus quickly clarified himself.

"Your test for today is to turn your tail invisible and incorporeal and keep it that way for the entire shopping trip. Think of it as practice for when you return to school, since you'll have to hide it then as well. If I or anyone else catch a glimpse of your tail between now and our return home, you fail. You may begin now."

Used to spontaneous pop-quizzes and tests sprung upon him at any moment by now, Harry immediately closed his eyes and concentrated on turning his tail first invisible, then incorporeal. Then he set up a small reserve of magic to reinforce his will, so he wouldn't have to hold the magic in place.

Opening his eyes, he took the cloak that Severus was holding out to him and followed his Tourniquet through the fireplace to the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry noticed that most of the patrons in the bar had looked up as the fireplace flashed to see who was coming through. Tom the bartender called a pleasant greeting to Severus, who nodded back, but nearly everyone else quickly turned back to theiir drinks, eager to avoid the eye of the Potions professor.

The two exited the Leaky Cauldron through the back door, and Severus quickly tapped the appropriate bricks to open the gate. After a short wait for the bricks to slide out of the way, Harry followed the older man into Diagon Alley. Severus swept down the alley the same way he did at Hogwarts. Harry trailed after, watching in amusement as people hurried out of Severus' way and basking in the sweet bliss that was anonymity.

After a quick stop in the bank, they made their way through the shops of Diagon Alley. Starting at a book shop that was less crowded than Flourish and Blotts and carried more unusual books, Severus helped Harry purchase the only book on the school list that they didn't already have at home, the new Defense textbook. Severus also allowed Harry to browse through the bookshelves, and the Elf ended up buying three more books that caught his eye. Two of them were fictional novels written by Wizards. The third was one that he had founded crammed into a back corner of the shop. It was written in a strange form of squiggly runes that, after finding he could read it, Harry realized was a novel written in Parseltoungue. Severus had eyed it curiously when Harry was paying for the books, but he asked Harry no questions, and so Harry told him no lies.

Once finished there, they headed over to Madame Malkins to get his school robes. His old ones had been too short even before his transformation, but now he stood at a towering 5'11" as compared to his original 5'3". Harry couldn't have been more pleased than when he had found that, when reverting to his true Elvish form, he had grown much taller, reaching his final height. Had the Dursleys taken proper care of him, Severus was certain that Harry would've been this tall a year ago, and even taller now. Tall though he was (finally) for a wizard, Harry was still on the short side for an Elf.

The thought of making a bonfire of Dudley's old things when they returned to the manor was highly appealing, so while his school robes were being brought in, Harry took a glimpse around the store to see if there was anything he liked for everyday wear when not in classes. Not seeing anything that caught his interest, he paid for his school robes and led Severus out.

When he realized Harry was heading back towards the Leaky Cauldron, Severus sped up and put a hand on his charge's shoulder to get his attention. "Where to now, Harry? I thought you wanted to get some more clothes?"

"Oh, I do," Harry said, leading Severus through the brick gateway and into the smoky tavern, "It's just that I don't want robes. Bloody silly things to wear, if you ask me, especially if you have a tendency to run into trouble, like I do. They're always in the way, tripping me up and weighing me down. I want some _real_ clothes."

Harry pushed the door open and stepped out into Muggle London, picking a direction and starting down the street with Severus at his heels. The Potions Master glanced around nervously. He didn't like Muggle London, particularly the shady area they were in. There were some really creepy people living around here, and with their long black robes and cloaks, which were thought of as strange in the Muggle world, he and Harry would be considered prey for any Muggle gang that happened to be hanging around.. Discretely, he drew his wand and cast a notice-me-not charm around him and Harry so they would not be bothered. Feeling more reassured, he stowed his wand away and set about simply trailing behind Harry as the Elf led him through the city.

Harry wandered around Muggle London for a while with Severus following close behind him, grumbling the whole time, until he found a clothing store that sold special, custom-made old-fashioned clothes. Most of their business consisted of arts performers and strange old eccentrics with more money than brains, so a lot of the clothing was expensive, of high quality cloth and make. Harry set upon the shop like a buzzard on a carcass, seeking out shirts and pants in several different colors. Severus hung back near the door, watching in amusement as Harry swiftly went through the racks of clothes, quickly dismissing anything that didn't catch his eye. When he went to pay at the counter, he had an armful of light, loose-fit, men's shirts with full long sleeves in dark greens and blues, black, and some in blood red. He had also discovered a pair of sturdy leather boots that were the proper size and bought them as well.

After paying for his selection, Harry made his way outside, searching out a more typical clothing store. Here he picked out many pairs of jeans in darks blues and blacks, as well as some more shirts made in more modern styles. Along with the new clothing, he got a pair of trainers for comfortable day-to-day use, as well as new socks and underwear.

Finished with the clothes shopping, the two made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Severus was set to go home, but Harry asked Severus if he could browse around some of the obscure shops before they left. The Tourniquet reluctantly agreed, but only for an hour or so. Before stepping back out into the Alley, Severus cast a shrinking spell on the bags of clothing so they didn't have so much to carry.

Harry had to search through several shops before he finally found the focal crystal he needed for the Ritual. After checking to be sure that Severus was preoccupied, Harry quickly purchased it. He waited for the Potions Master to finish up his own looking around, and then, since the hour was well over, they returned back to the manor.

Almost as soon as they had gotten back home, Severus swept off to ready himself for the Order meeting. Harry went up to his room and opened the door, catching an over-excited Cullen as the wolf cub leaped at him in joy. Laughing, Harry went in and settled the cub on the floor before taking the shrunken packages from his pockets. Saying the password Severus had given him to unshrink them, he set about pulling all his old clothes save for his Weasley sweaters out of the wardrobes and tossing them into a pile on his floor. He then took all his new clothing and set about cutting off tags and putting it all away in it's appropriate place. Just as he was finishing up, Severus called Harry down to eat dinner with him and the others. He threw away all the little bits of plastic and paper leftover from the tags, then changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a green longsleeved shirt before going down to dinner.

Afterwards, when he had returned to his room, he took a certain amount of sadistic joy in burning all his old clothing to ash in the fireplace.

In the middle of his pyromania, Severus came in briefly, informing him that he was leaving for the meeting and would be back in a few hours. Harry nodded his understanding, and Severus left the room shaking his head and muttering something under his breath about 'Bloody pyros.' Harry paid no mind to his Tourniquet's commentary, and continued to burn the old traces of his life as a human until there was nothing left to burn.

Satisfied, he glanced up at the clock on the mantlepeice. It was now almost nine. Severus was probably in the middle of the meeting by now, so Harry could probably do the Ritual without fear of being caught.

Harry stood from his place on the floor before the hearth and stretched, grinning at Cullen. "C'mon, boy," he muttered, "It's time." He first went over to his walk-in closet and changed into a set of clean white training clothes made of soft cotton, leaving his shoes off. Then he went to the fireplace and carefully removed one of the stones, revealing a secret compartment with the bag of supplies he had gotten together. He pulled out the bag and replaced the stone, then turned around, looking around his rooms for where he had set the other items.

Taking his newly bought crystal out of the box the shopkeeper had put it in for him, he shoved it into the bag with the other things. Then he led Cullen out of his rooms and down to the large walk-in supply cabinet next to the Potions lab. Here he got ten pure white candles and added them to the bag as well. His supply inventory complete, Harry headed down to the training room.

He entered the room and first gathered all of the soft matts and rolled them up, setting them at the base of the wall on the far side of the room from the door, revealing hard wood floors underneath. Pulling some bundles of herbs out of the bag, he arranged them on the far edges of the room, one placed at North, one at South, one East, and one West. Pricking his fingertip with a knife, he added one drop of blood to each bundle. Then Harry set the crystal down on the floor in the middle of the room to use as a center point. The candles were placed equidistantly both from the candle and from each other, forming a circle around it.

After turning off all the lights so that the room was shrouded in darkness, he set Cullen on one side of the circle and told him to stay. Next Harry kneeled down on the other side of the circle, palms on his thighs with the knife setting next to him and took a deep breath before beginning the spell.

"Darkness has risen in the land of Gaea," he intoned calmly, "I ask that the Powers That Be reveal those with the power to stop this great evil. I ask that they are summoned here to fight. I ask that they be brought together, to unite the Great Races of Gaea once more. I ask to summon the Gathering."

Harry then picked up the knife and said softly, "So does my blood will this thing, so does my magic." He then used the knife to cut a long slit in his left palm, from the base of his forefinger to heel of his palm. After repeating the same motion on the other hand, he set down the knife and leaned forward, wrapping both hands around the crystal, smearing it with blood.

When the crystal was coated with the thick red substance, he leaned back on his heels and held his hands palms up in front of him, level with his shoulders. When he glanced at his hands, he could see that they were still covered with blood, but the cuts had already healed over, leaving a thin white scar. Pulling his attention away, Harry focused on flooding his magic out of his body and into the crystal.

The crystal began to glow with a pulsating white light as Harry willed his magic into the crystal. The Ritual was drawing out his magic at an alarming rate, and a few doubts flitted across his mind before he crushed them, turning his full concentration onto the spell. Slowly, he felt the spell begin to work.

The candle directly in front of the young elf glowed with a soft white light before flashing as the crystal sent a jolt of purple light to it, turning it purple. Then the candle wick suddenly erupted into flames. In a purple glow above the flame was presented an image of Harry himself, sitting at the circle as he did the spell. It was rather odd, watching exactly what he was doing from the sidelines at the same time as he was doing it. He felt a wave of magic sweep through him, making him gasp.

Shaking his head to clear it, Harry turned his attention to the second candle, drawing more of his magic out. He was already tired, breathing hard and chest heaving. He poured more of his magic into the spell, and slowly the second candle began to glow shakily. The connection between crystal and candle was brown this time, and gave a weaker flash than the one before, turning the candle brown and igniting it.

The person showed in the soft brown glow above this candle was a teenage boy a little younger than Harry. He had short, dirty-blonde hair and amber eyes, and light skin. He appeared to be sitting on a couch in a living room, and had his attention focused on the TV in front of him as he played a videogame. As Harry watched, gasping for breath, the boy's expression of utmost concentration wavered slightly, and a look of confusion crossed his face. At the same time, another wave of magic washed through Harry's body, and with it came a sudden plethora of information. America. That's where the boy lived. His name was Keane, and he was fouteen years old. He was a Werewolf.

The second person was now bonded to him through the spell, so Harry turned to the third candle. Just like the first two, this candle was hit by a beam of light from the crystal. This time it was yellow, and the image in the matching glow above the flame was first a man with darkly tanned skin and brown hair. He was working stalking through some dry brush, as though hunting. In his hand was a boomerang. _'Shapeshifter,'_ Harry's mind supplied. The man was named Vance. He was thirty-one and lived in the Australian outback.

Drenched with sweat, Harry turned to start on the fourth person. Panic flared through him as he realized he was reaching the end of his strength already. The spell was using up too large of amounts of magic. His reserves were low, and for a moment he contemplated calling on the magic he had stocked with Cullen. But he knew that if the magic continued at this rate, Cullen would be drained completely before he finished just one more bond. He decided it would be best to just end the spell, so he tried to pull back his magic. However, the spell refused to release its hold. Harry gave a gasp of pain as the spell almost literally _yanked_ on his magical core, pulling out his energy forcibly in order to fuel itself. He couldn't keep up the spell long enough to finish it without using up all his energy and killing himself, but neither could he end it.

Panicked, Harry moved onto his last resort, and did the only thing he could think to do. He called for help. He violently tore down the block between his and Severus' minds, just managing to cry out his Tourniquets' name just before the ritual spell drew out some of the last reserves of his magic. He could no longer maintain a connection with his Tourniquet, so Harry gave up on that method of escape. He turned back to the spell, attempting to slow the flow of energy from his body to the crystal and candles. If he could slow it down, make it last longer, then perhaps he could manage the last seven. But the power being drawn out, almost painful now, did not stop and only slowed a little. Several minutes passed, and Harry began to fear the worst.

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'_Severus!_'

The panicked, pained cry in his head jolted Severus awake from his doze as Arthur Weasley gave his report on the activity within the ministry. He jerked violently, and many of the Order members looked at him quizzically. He sneered at them, then cast his attention inwards, focusing on his link to Harry.

'_Harry! Harry, what's wrong? Answer me! Harry!_' He received no response from his charge, and he opened the bond some more to allow Harry's emotions and physical sensations pass through. He only just barely stopped his sharp intake of breath at the sensations now whirling through his mind. Harry was panicked and afraid, though he was also making a valiant attempt to fight back his emotions. His magic was being drawn, no, yanked out of him with incredible force, and he couldn't figure out how to stop it. Apprehensively, Severus opened the mental bond.

'_Oh crap, oh shit, come on! Stop, stop already! Maybe I can slow it…dammit, it's not enough! I'm gonna lose it! Oh God, someone, please help me! Severus!'_

The Tourniquet's blood ran cold and he swiftly began sending thoughts back to Harry, trying to sooth him and reassure him that he was coming. Growing even more concerned when he didn't recieve a direct response, Severus closed off some of the bond so he could concentrate on his surroundings.

He stood abruptly, interrupting Arthur's report as he walked up to the Headmaster, who was seated at the head of the table. He paid no mind to the Order members staring at him incredulously. He leaned over and whispered in Dumbledore's ear, informing him that he had to leave, now. Knowing there would only be one valid excues with Dumbledore, he faked a slight wince of pain and rubbed at his left arm. Dumbledore watched this carefully before nodding gravely at him, excusing him. Waiting for no further encouragement, Severus left Grimmauld Place and headed to a quiet street corner before saying the password to activate his Portkey home.

Landing in the great hall of the Tourniquet manor, he hurried to fullly open the bond and followed it to the training room on the third floor. The glow from the room was so bright that he had to stop outside the door to dampen his aura-seeing abilities. He threw open the door and took in the sight before him.

Harry was kneeling in front of a ritual circle on the floor, eyes shut tight and a grimace on his face. Severus recognized the spell as the one from the book Harry had showed him. Cullen lay whimpering on the floor across from his master on the other side of the spell. The room was quiet, a weak throbbing light centered around the third candle as the spell tried to follow through and complete itself. Severus felt a flicker of anger that his charge would disobey him after his various warnings, but pushed it aside. Now was not the time.

Severus did not speak, but rushed over to Harry, dropping to his knees behind the Elf and wrapping his arms around Harry in an embrace. Harry's eyes flew open, they were glowing so brightly they were almost blinding, and they wandered unseeing across the room before Harry's body twisted around weakly, allowing him to vaguely focus on the Tourniquet.

"Severus?" Harry rasped. "Oh shit, I'm in trouble."

"Yes, you are. But let's focus on finishing the spell without killing you first, shall we?" Severus answered dryly. He turned Harry around to face the circle again, whistling softly. Cullen bounded over at the summons, laying his head on Harry's knees. He took the knife from where Harry had dropped it and quickly made the matching cuts on his palms to add his blood, and his power, to the spell. Putting one hand on Harry's forehead, Severus pulled the Elf gently back so he was leaning against him. His other hand rested on Cullen's back, and he focused on slowly drawing out the magical energy Harry had stored with his familiar and transmitting it through to Harry, using the mental and emotional bond with his charge to guide Harry through using it to fuel the spell without draining it all.

The throbbing glow surround the fourth candle brightened and sped up, and this flash was black, showing a petite girl from Japan. As with the others, Harry felt a wave of accepting magic bonding her to the summoner of the Gathering as information about her popped into Harry's head. Her name was Mikoto. She was a Vampire, and 267 years old.

Then Severus carefully guided Harry's magic, helping him to draw it out slowly in controlled amounts. The fifth candle flashed teal, revealing a young woman with the lower body of a goat. She hair long reddish-brown hair, with the fur on her legs and tail the same colour. She was a 24-year-old Faun named Rena, and she lived in Greece.

After that, the next candle shone a brilliant shimmering gold. The girl inside the swirling misty image was immediately recognizable as a Veela, with long wavy blonde hair and stormy grey eyes. She looked about Harry's age, perhaps a little older. As with the others, her vital information flashed through Harry's mind as she was bonded to the Gathering. Age seventeen, named Marishka, and resided in Bulgaria.

By now, Cullen was nearly asleep he was so exhausted, and Severus gently released him from the spell, wrapping his now free arm around Harry's stomach as he held the Elf close. He closed his eyes and began the painful process of drawing his magic out manually and pouring it into his charge. This was the sort of magic that could damage his magical core to use, but he had a duty to Harry, to protect him at all costs, and if Harry lost too much more magic, he could fall into a coma, or even die.

Siphoning his own magic into Harry, Severus felt himself beginning to lose his grip. It hurt, to use his magic this way. He let out a sob from the pain, but did not release his hold on the Elf. Harry's left hand came down to grip Severus own, and they clasped tightly, their fingers threaded together. Harry's right hand was holding onto the Tourniquet's forearm while Severus' other hand was still on Harry's forehead, gently pushing the Elf's head back against his shoulder, and they were both breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

The seventh candle started slower than the others as Severus shifted from using Cullen's magical stores to his own. But eventually it connected to the crystal with a band of silver light, the glow of the candle revealing Severus in the flame as the spell accepted him as a second spell-caster and therefore, a Gathered. The two could feel the magic flood through them as it bound Severus to the spell, and to Harry, as a member of the Gathered. Severus' name, age, race, and location swept through Harry's mind, just as it had for the others before him.

The eight candle was struck slower than the first couple had been, but it was eventually hit by a beam of pale green light from the crystal. The girl it showed in the flames afterwards was green too. Her skin was a light green shade, and her knee-length hair was a dark, forest green. As the magic bound her, the Nymph stopped feeding the baby deer laying across her lap and glanced around the surrounding forest curiously. Her name was Rowan. She was from Ireland, where she had lived in the same wood, in the same tree, to be exact, for all twenty years of her life.

The ninth candle, too, came slower, but when it finally flashed and changed color, it became a soft tan color. The male figure in this image was older than most of the others had been, at 43 years old. He was a Dwarf, his brown hair and beard long and neatly braided. Blue eyes peeked out from under bushy eyebrows, and a flash of realization swept through them as he felt the magic just as the others had. His name was Xander. They would find him in Germany.

The very last candle took the longest to change, eventually glowing and turning a vibrant red. The girl in the image seemed about the same age as Harry and the Veela girl, with pale skin and shoulder-length brown hair streaked with royal blue, dressed in dark clothes. She was walking through what appeared to be a mall when she stopped and swayed on the spot with the magic. A blurry figure next to her raised a hand and put it on her shoulder, and she blinked and turned to smile at the other human next to her. Her name was Crystal, and she was a 17-year-old human girl from Cailfornia.

The glowing images of the Gathered remained floating above their respective candles for a few moments before fading, and the candles' flames fizzled and went out, leaving Harry and Severus in darkness. As the magic faded, the two slumped to the floor, lying in a panting heap. Harry turned over a little and nestled his head against his Tourniquet's chest.

"I'm in big trouble, aren't I Sev?" Harry murmured sleepily, fisting a hand in the black robes as he yawned.

The Tourniquet nodded slowly. "Remind me to scream at you as soon as we wake up," he murmured back, and with that the two fell fast asleep on the floor, Harry lying mostly on top of his Tourniquet. Cullen was lying on his master's lap, his head resting on Severus' thigh. The three were completely exhausted from the spell, and did not wake again for several hours.

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"Idiot!"

"I'm sorry."

"Moron!"

"Yessir."

"Bloody Gryffindor!"

"I know."

Severus paced back and forth before his Elven charge, death-glaring at him mercilessly. He had been berating Harry for the past half hour, for betraying his trust, for disregarding Severus' warnings, and for doing the Ritual in general. Finally he stopped, scrutinizing the contrite Elf before him. Harry looked horrible, his hair was hanging limp around his face, and his posture was slack. He looked exhausted, dark circles under eyes that did not glow as brightly as they should. The Ritual had been a horrible drain on his magic, and Severus wasn't feeling much better, even after sleeping through the rest of the night and well into the next day.

Severus sighed and flopped down on the sofa next Harry, to tired and sore to care about his pride. He put a hand on Harry's shoulder and the Elf looked up, locking eyes with Severus. The two stared at one another before Severus pulled Harry to lean up against him, wrapping both his arms around his charge, paying no attention to the way Harry stiffened slightly.

"Oh, Harry, why? Why did you do that?" Severus lamented, and Harry relaxed into the embrace, leaning his head against his Tourniquet's chest.

"I just want it to be over. And the Magical World is in shambles," he said wearily, "The world needs this, Sev'rus. It needs something to bring it together. People can't keep living like this, fearful of anything different, with rules and restriction on pointless, stupid things and nothing to control larger, more important matters. But nothing will be done about it unless someone takes a stand. It's not just Voldemort anymore. It's like the world is at war against itself. That's a battle that no one will win."

Severus sat silently for a few moments before heaving another sigh. "Dammit, Harry, why do you have to care so much?" he muttered under his breath before speaking up so Harry could hear him better. "I suppose we should start making arrangements, then."

"Arrangements for what?" Harry asked, turning his head to look at Severus' face.

"Well, you summoned the bloody Gathering, didn't you? Or did you forget that you, as the caster, have to go find them all and bring them together?"

Harry grinned.

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It was late at night on September first, and Albus Dumbledore was pacing in his office, thinking hard as he tried to come up with an explanation of what could have happened.

Severus had sent an incredibly short note saying that family business had sprung up and he would not be able to return to Hogwarts. He had written that he was not sure how long it would take, but most likely many monthes. Now he had to find a new Potions teacher to substitute for an indefinate amount of time, and he didn't even want to think about what he was going to do for spying on Voldemort. '_This 'family business' is probably something for Tom anyways'_, Albus thought to himself.

If that wasn't bad enough, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger had told him just after the Back to School Feast that Harry had not been on the train with them, and they had no idea where he was.

Minerva had gone to check his home and see if his blasted Muggle family had perhaps refused to let him return to school, but Albus doubted that was the case. They hated having Harry around too much, they wouldn't have passed up the chance to get rid of him for the next ten monthes for anything. So where was he?

Just then, the ward on the Gargoyle outside his office alerted him to the fact that Minerva was coming up. Albus swiftly composed himself, seating himself at his desk and taking deep breaths. By the time the headmistress knocked on the door, one would never be able to tell he had been agitated at all.

"Come in, Minerva," he said. The Transfiguration professor entered his office, swiftly shutting the door behind herand walking over to stand in front of his desk.

"He's not there, Albus."

"I didn't expect him to be," Albus said, sighing sadly. Damn that boy! Couldn't he grasp how important he was? He better not have just walked off, or Merlin help him, Albus was going to kill him!

"His relatives said that they came home one night to find him missing. All of his things were gone too. They haven't seen him since."

Albus closed his eyes and sighed. This was just perfect! He had been making all sorts of plans for how to train Harry this year, how to strip him of his weaknesses and make sure that he was firmly under control. A weapon unleashed could be very dangerous, as Harry had proved his first year when he killed Quirrel. Albus had lied when he told Harry it was his mother's love that saved him. What a ridiculous story, and yet it still worked. The boy had been so eager to hear anything at all about his parents, to feel loved, that he had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

"There's more, Albus. When I insisted they give me some sort of clue as to Harry's whereabouts, the Muggles gave me this," Minerva said. Albus opened his eyes and reached out to take the already opened envelope she was holding out to him. "They found it on the desk in Harry's room the night the returned to find him gone," she added in as he read the address. Albus glanced back up at her before pulling the note out of its envelope and scanning it quickly, setting it down in shock when he finished.

"Oh, Severus, my child, what have you done?" he murmured.

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End Chapter Four

I'm trying, but failing miserably, to get more of this story finished so I can post before you all send assassins after me for holding you in suspense. So I want to try something, now. I swear to all that is holy that if I get a review from three quarters or more of the 130 people on this story's alert list, I will update within two weeks. Really, I will! Cross my heart and hope to die!

Thanks for reading, and please take just one minute to write a review! One minute! Can't you spare that? (puppy-dog eyes)


	5. Keane

Author's Note: Violence. Language. AU after Order of the Phoenix.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine.

_Italicized writing is people thinking, memories, passages from books, etc._

I've made you wait long enough already, so here. The author's note at the end is very important, so PLEASE make sure to read it.

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Ch 5) Keane

They remained at the Tourniquet Manor for a week, allowing them both time to recover from the severe drain on their magic, while Severus made the travel arrangements. On the very last day of August, the pair were heading to America via a flight across the Atlantic.

Severus was planning for entirely Muggle transportation, using pseudonyms and forged paperwork, so as to avoid leaving a trail in the Wizarding World. He knew that Dumbledore would begin frantically searching for Harry as soon as he got word that the Boy-Who-Lived wasn't on the train, and Voldemort's own search would come soon after, so he didn't want to leave any trace of their route behind.

Severus was getting ready to buy the plane tickets by phone order, but he first needed to check with Harry where exactly they were going. Since he hadn't joined in the ritual until after the first few Gathered were selected, he was unsure of their first destination, beyond the fact that it would be in America.

And so he found himself heading downstairs to Harry's room on the fourth floor. He had sent the young Elf there immediately after lunch to start packing for the trip. However, the pair of them had also had yet another argument over lunch, and Severus was unsure as to whether Harry would follow his instructions or not. Harry had wanted to write his friends and let them know that he was alright, and tell them not to worry when he didn't show up for Hogwarts. Severus had denied the request, fearing the Headmaster would try to use the letter to track them down.

"Then why can't I just send it to one of their homes? It doesn't have to go to Hogwarts to reach them; I just want to let them know I'm okay," Harry had asked, obviously annoyed at the Tourniquet's flat out denial.

"No, Harry. It's too risky. What if the letter was intercepted?"

"I have faith in Hedwig," Harry said stubbornly, "She'll make it all right."

"Harry, I gave my answer and I'm not going to change my mind. End of discussion," Severus replied icily.

"But–"

"Drop it." Severus tone had been frigid, closing off any more ideas of arguing. Harry had sat back in his chair, staring at his soup as if it had killed his best friend and refusing to say a word to Severus for the rest of the meal.

The Tourniquet arrived at Harry's rooms and pulled himself out of his musings, knocking on the door. A muffled thud and curse on the other side of the door let him know that his charge was indeed inside. A moment later the door was yanked open and Harry was glaring out at him. "What?" he demanded tersely.

Severus merely raised an eyebrow. "I just came to inquire as to where exactly we are supposed to be going."

Harry lips drew back in a snarl, but his reply was cut off as the Tourniquet continued. "I'm buying the plane tickets on pre-order, so I need to know where we're headed. I also wanted to know if you are packing like I asked you."

Harry scowled, but nodded stiffly. "I've just about finished packing. And to answer your question, I'm not certain yet. I will inform you when I've found that out." He moved to shut the door, but found it blocked by Severus' foot. Rather than re-opening the door to glare, as the Tourniquet expected, Harry began to push harder, nudging Severus' boot with his own bare toes. "Move your foot," Harry said grumpily.

Severus just crossed his arms. "What's the magic word?"

Harry's response was to phase his arm through the door, turn his hand solid, and shove Severus, hard. Caught off guard, the Tourniquet lost his balance and stumbled back, giving Harry the opportunity to shut the door again. "Move your _bloody_ foot!" Harry snarled through the wood. Severus cursed when he heard the lock click and banged his fist on the door. "Harry! Open the door! Right now!"

"Go away!" came the muffled angry reply.

Severus snarled and banged on the door again. "Harry, come on! This is ridiculous! Open the door and let's talk like civilized beings."

Harry turned intangible and leaned forward through the door so he could glare at the Tourniquet. "Maybe I want to be left alone right now!" without waiting for a response, he pulled back inside the doorway.

Severus slammed his hand up against the door again. "HARRY! You are acting like a spoiled three-year-old!" the Tourniquet growled, his annoyance growing and beginning to become obvious.

"You know what – forget it!" came Harry's muffled voice through the door. "You want to find out where the bloody hell we're going, come back later. I'm too PISSED OFF to think right now. And I will do NOTHING as long as you are yelling at me and ordering me around!"

Severus took a step back from the door, breathing heavily and trying to rein in his temper. With a snarl, he turned and stared pacing back and forth in the hallway, until, after a few minutes, an irritated Harry stuck his head through the door again.

"And you might as well go pout somewhere else. Your pacing is driving me up the wall." With an annoyed sneer, Harry pulled his incorporeal head back into his room.

Severus huffed angrily and left up the stairs.

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A little over an hour later, Harry was playing with Cullen on the floor in his suite. He had been going round and round in circles in his head since his last encounter with his Tourniquet, and was still frustrated with Severus. Though the flare of defiance _had_ died down, it was only by a very small amount.

The heart of the matter was, Harry missed his friends. He missed them more than he had during any of the summers spent with the Dursley's in the years before. Throughout his life in the magical world, and throughout all of his magical adventures, he had always had one or the other, or, if he was lucky, both Ron and Hermione at his side. And now, when he had spent a month using his magic in a totally new way, learning more about magic and how it worked than he had in all the five years he had spent at Hogwarts, they weren't there. He wasn't able to share this adventure with Ron and Hermione. The only ones here were Snape and the other Tourniquets, all of whom were strangers. Out of all of them, Severus alone spent time with Harry regularly.

Even after a month of living in close quarters and trying to learn to work together, the pair could not set aside their previous animosity so easily. At least, Harry couldn't. After five years of seeing Severus Snape only as the cold Potions professor, it was difficult to let go of that image. At times, that cruel, impatient bastard showed through again, and Harry would immediately go on his guard. He never let himself forget that grudging Professor Snape was never far under the calm surface of Severus the Tourniquet, and he could never tell, which one was the real person? Was Severus a mask, a way to gain his trust, or was Professor Snape the façade, hiding the true, calmer and gentler soul from Voldemort, Dumbledore, and others who would seek to manipulate other people to suit their purpose? Who exactly was his mentor, and what was the truth of their relationship?

If Ron and Hermione were here, they both would have had their own theories. Ron, ever the passionately suspicious one, would be all out against the Slytherin. He would rant for the longest time about how untrustworthy that bastard was before deflating and suggesting a game of chess or a one-on-one game of Quidditch. And as for Hermione, she, always the optimist, would list all the reasons why the professor would be on their side, then diplomatically figure out some reasons why they should be careful about how they proceeded, before finally suggesting they go look at the Tourniquet's library and see what exactly Snape's 'service' to him entailed.

Harry found himself smiling a little bitterly at the thought, wringing Cullen's rope toy between his hands. God, but he missed them. And now, he was about to leave for Merlin knew how long, and he might not even make it to Hogwarts this year. He didn't know when he'd next be able to see his best friends, and Severus wouldn't even let him send a letter so they wouldn't worry!

With a heavy sigh, he half-heartedly tossed the toy across the room, and watched dispassionately as the wolf cub enthusiastically chased after it, pouncing on it and tearing into it with his teeth. He hated this isolation from his closest friends.

A soft knock came at the door, startling him out of his thoughts, and the young Elf stared at the door for a moment until he heard Severus calling his name in a soft voice.

"Harry? May I come in?"

The teen stared for another moment, holding his breath, before closing his eyes and letting out another sigh and climbing to his feet. He padded barefoot over to the door and opened it slightly, peeking out at the Tourniquet standing in the shadowy hallway outside. "Is it alright if we talk?" Severus asked, face carefully blank. Harry studied him for a moment before nodding and moving aside, pushing the door open more to allow the Tourniquet access. Wordlessly, Severus came in, his bearing as regal and uptight as always. _Like he had a broomstick shoved up his arse,_ Harry mused distastefully.

Severus stopped and turned on his heel, crossing his arms and watching the young Elf closely. Harry, uncomfortable under the scrutiny, turned away and shut the door. Before he could turn back around, however, the Tourniquet chose to break the tense silence.

"I wish to apologize for earlier, Harry. I should not have yelled at you," the young Elf turned around and opened his mouth to speak, but Severus held up a hand to halt Harry's response. "But I still feel I must stand by my earlier decision."

Harry's expression hardened and he stepped closer to the Tourniquet. "I'm not going to get to see them for months, possibly longer! I don't want them to worry about me. If it was one of them, I'd want to know why they didn't show up at school."

"Harry," Severus started to say, clasping his charge's hand and leading him over to the couch a few feet away. Harry sat on the edge of the sofa, and Severus kneeled before him so they were at eye level, not letting go of Harry's hand. "I know that you miss your friends." The Elf looked down at their clasped hands in his lap, contemplating pulling away. "But the risks at the moment are too great. If we are found by the Dark Lord, we will be brought before him and/or killed. If Dumbledore catches up to us, he will do everything in his power to make you into his pawn again. We need allies; we _must_ find the rest of the Gathered before we can hope to come out of hiding. Unfortunately, the Tourniquets alone are not strong enough to fully protect you from the manipulations of the Wizarding World; there are just too few of us left to have much of influence on them. Until we have more support, we must not be found. And every means of communication the Wizarding World has a way of tracking it back to the sender."

Harry bit his lip, refusing to meet the Tourniquet's eyes, and nodded. Severus eyed him carefully, concern showing on his face. He looked away from his charge, thinking over an idea that had come to him earlier. Finally, he came to a decision, and sighed, sitting down on the sofa next to Harry before speaking.

"I'll tell you what Harry. Once we have been traveling for a while, you may send some letters in the Muggle way to Granger's family. Ask them to forward the letters on to Hogwarts. But –" he said, watching as an incredulous but hopeful expression spread over Harry's face, "you must say nothing of importance in the letters; you absolutely CANNOT say anything about where we have been, are at the moment, or will be in the future, and you must say nothing of the other members of the Gathered. Understood? We _cannot_ let them track us down."

Harry nodded earnestly. "Yes, si – Severus. I understand completely. And thanks!"

A small smile graced the Tourniquet's face. "You're welcome, Harry. But remember, you cannot write them until we have already begun traveling. And be sure that the packaging leaves no clue to our location either."

Harry nodded again. "I know, Severus."

"Good." The Tourniquet paused for a moment, then continued. "And now, Harry, I really need to know where it is we are heading, so I can purchase our plane tickets."

Harry snorted and grinned, getting to his feet and walking over to the backpack that was sitting on the low table before the sofa. He was using the pack (charmed to have extra room and be feather-light, of course) to house his belongings as they traveled. Severus eyed it, wondering if Harry had ever completed packing, and asking his charge that very question.

"Yes, I'm ready to go, Severus," Harry said, feeling around inside the pack and finally pulling out a smaller leather sack. He then turned the new bag over, dumping the contents out on the floor. Severus watched as several candles of various colors came tumbling out, a silver one rolling over to rest at Severus' feet. Cullen crept over and sniffed at it, then sneezed.

While Harry separated a brown candle from the rest and began putting the others back in the bag, Severus leaned over and picked up the silver one, examining it. It had been burned before, and he could feel it humming with magic in his hand. He looked up at Harry. "These are the candles you used for the ritual, aren't they?"

Harry nodded as he took the silver candle from Severus' hand and put it back into the bag with the others. "Yeah. I can use the candles to help locate the other members if I need to. Each candle is attuned to one Gathered. This one – " he held up the brown one, "represents Keane, the first one summoned."

He set it down on the floor and concentrated, magically lighting the wick with a small flame. Severus nodded in approval. "You're getting better," he said.

Harry flashed a quick grin at him before putting out a hand next to the flame, leaning forward and blowing gently on it so that the flame flickered and suddenly flared. A soft brown glow appeared above the flame, much like it had during the ritual. A face appeared in the light; Keane.

Cullen whimpered softly, and Severus frowned and cast a glance down at the wolf cub. He knew why the pup was upset, because he also felt the magic causing it.

Severus could feel the Gathered bond between him and Harry and Keane thrumming, and he felt rather than heard Harry ask where Keane would be found. A slight pulse of magic made Severus' eyes flutter closed while both he and Harry, as both were summoners of the Gathering, received the information.

Keane lived in Colorado, a medium-sized Midwest state in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. There was a large concentration of magic there that drew magical creatures of all kinds. The entire area was simply called Magic Country by the inhabitants, since it housed several of the Great Races aware of their magic, unlike the Muggles that seemed to make up much of the population of the world. The Wizards had a rather large all-magic city of their own not far from the Werewolf town in which Keane and his parents lived.

The magic faded away again when Harry blew out the candle, the glow and image of Keane disappearing instantly. "Right, then. Onwards to Colorado."

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In the late afternoon hours of the last day of August, Harry and Severus had just finished their flight to the nearest airport to Magic Country. From there they rented a car to drive to the Werewolf-run town of Zaneta, Colorado. For some odd reason, Harry found the idea of Severus driving a Muggle car hysterically funny, and kept having to hide his laughter with coughing the whole ride there to avoid Severus' Death Glare.

It wasn't a particularly fun drive for Harry's poor familiar though. Cullen did not like cars apparently, and spent the entire trip sitting on Harry's lap in the front passenger seat whimpering and sticking his head out the window. Hedwig spent the entire trip in her cage, asleep with her head under her wing.

When they reached the land owned by the magical community, they stopped at the Government station on the border to see if they could find any more direct clues as to where to find Keane, and to find more information about the Werewolf-run area.

A sort of unspoken agreement seemed to have passed between the Wizards and the Werewolves of that region. Each of the two races had their own private comfort zone, but visitation and travel were still welcomed by both parties. With the Werewolves in their own town miles away, the Wizard slept easier on nights of the full moon. And since the Wizards had their own city, Constantine, the Werewolves didn't have to fear daily persecution from the more prejudiced and paranoid Wizards. The two cities shared a friendly disposition towards each other, but the relationship also held a healthy amount of respect.

The Werewolf city, Zaneta, was small, having a population of about 2,000 people. Compared to most US cities, this was fairly tiny, but considering nearly all the inhabitants were Werewolves…

"How do they stay safe during the full moon with so many of them running around?" Harry asked Severus as they walked back to the car.

The Tourniquet eyed his protégé critically. "How much do you know about Werewolves, Harry?"

Harry blinked and shrugged. "Not much. Only what you taught us in third year."

Severus snorted as he unlocked the car and got into the driver's side. "You didn't do any research on them at all? Even though you knew you'd be interacting with one directly?"

Harry got into the front passenger seat and shut the door. Cullen, who'd been lying curled up on the back seat, immediately hopped up front onto Harry's lap. "I already know a werewolf. Or did you forget about Professor Lupin? And we did do a unit on them in class that year."

"Yes, well, that book Lupin had you using is not very informative about Werewolves. There is a lot more to them than meets the eye. And just because you know _one_ Werewolf, doesn't mean you know _everything_ about Werewolves."

Harry sheepishly nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So you want to tell me about them, then?"

Severus gave him a look. "Did you really think I'd let you walk into this with no clue of what you are dealing with? It might take us a while to track down Keane anyways. Alright, Werewolves." He thought for a moment as he pulled out of the parking lot entrance to the highway. "Let's see…let's start with your friend Lupin as an example."

Harry frowned. "What about Remus?"

"Remus Lupin is not a true Werewolf."

Harry frowned. "What are you talking about? You and I both saw him transform that night in my third year!"

Severus' lip curled at the reminder. "Let me finish Harry," he chided, "Lupin is not a full-blooded Werewolf because he was bitten."

The Elf looked confused. "I'm not following."

Severus launched into his explanation, simultaneously scanning the road ahead for anything amiss. "There are two different kinds of Werewolf. A full-blooded Werewolf is one born as one. This happens when two Werewolves, it doesn't matter whether they are full or half-blood themselves, mate and have children. The offspring are born as full Werewolves.

"Full-blooded Werewolves can control the transformations more, and are capable of shifting forms at will. Their Wolf form is almost identical to a normal wolf, but with small subtle differences. Though they can transform even when there is no full moon, the lunar cycle does affect their transformations. The fuller the moon, the harder it is to control the more animalistic instincts, such as hunting for food. Usually when it's the full moon, most of them remain in Wolf form to prevent themselves from going insane from the urges. However, they do keep their minds when in Wolf form, rather like the way the half-bloods do with the Wolfsbane potion. But accidents do happen, causing the creation of the second kind of Werewolf.

"Werewolves' fangs are poisonous. They carry a venom called Lycan, which basically infects their prey with Werewolf DNA. It's uncertain what the purpose of this was. Some say it was a way for the Werewolves to keep themselves from dying out. Other, less accepting people say that Werewolves are not a Race, but that Lycanthropy is a contagious disease. Those that are bitten and infected become what is called a Lycanthrope, or a half-Werewolf. Any one of the Great Races can be infected and become a Lycanthrope."

Severus paused a moment and glanced over at his charge. "Are you following all of this, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Severus gave a brief nod and continued his lecture. "Now, Lycanthropes have heightened senses in their natural form, and while they cannot control the transformations at will, on the full moon they are forced to shift. Their wolf form is generally less wolf-like, more physically similar to their original form. For instance, a Wizard Lycanthrope, like Lupin, will appear more humanoid. A Veela Lycanthrope would have Veela like characteristics, and so on and so forth. However, no matter how different they appear, they are no less dangerous than a true Werewolf, and they, too, carry Lycan venom.

"Now, what Wolfsbane does is suppresses certain animal instincts. Because bitten Werewolves only transform because of the Lycan venom flowing through their veins, the instincts are foreign and basically unnatural, so Wolfsbane is rather like a medicine, simply helping to ease and control the condition. But for true Werewolves, Wolfsbane is poisonous, because their transformations are innate and natural."

Severus finished his lecture and glanced over at his charge. Harry was thinking over what he had been told, a hand covering his mouth and his eyes glazed slightly as he nodded slowly.

"I see," he said distantly, "So a lot of the Werewolves here must be full-blood. Since the majority of the families here are Werewolves, I'd assume most all the younger generations would be pure Werewolf."

"Yes," Severus agreed, "And since any of the Great Races can be bitten and turned, expect to see more than just Wizards or Muggles here. We could find anything, even some that are Full-Werewolf but with other Races blended in. You see, because you only need one generation of Werewolves behind you to make a true Werewolf, a lot of "Pure-blooded Werewolves" really have many species in their genetic makeup."

Harry grinned. "That's pretty wicked. I wonder what Keane is?" The idea that the Werewolf Gathered might have some of the powers of many different Races was an intriguing one.

"Well, I assume we'll find out fairly soon." Severus said neutrally, falling silent and turning his attention to the road as they started down a gravel roadway winding through the Rocky Mountains off the main highway.

Harry watched out the window as they drove through the forest-covered mountains, leaning his seat back slightly. He'd never traveled with the Dursley's on vacation. The most traveling he'd done was the trips to and from Kings Cross in London, and the trip through the countryside on the Hogwarts Express. He felt slightly wistful; he doubted there would be much time for exploring or sightseeing with Gathered members to find.

Perhaps someday, when the war was finished, when he was older and had nothing tying him down, he could just travel the world. To not worry about anything, to just get in a car and just drive, and see everything; the cities, the mountains and forests, the people and cultures, the oceans, the deserts, the tundra, the ruins of older civilizations long gone…to just have a taste of everything, to know the truth of the world he lived in…that would truly be amazing. A slight smile crossed Harry's face, and he looked out at the sky, not noticing the sidelong glance Severus cast in his direction.

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After an hour of driving down the winding gravel road, they finally arrived at the small town. It really was a small community, one of those back road villages that seemed more than anything to be integrated into the surrounding wilderness rather than pushing the forest back. Most of the homes were surrounded by trees and forest and had no fences, and they were spread far apart compared to the English suburbs Harry had lived in most of his life. Tourniquet Manor was surrounded by foggy moors, but he really hadn't explored the grounds as much as he could have.

After much driving around town, turning around and going back the way they came, cursing as they realized they were lost again, Harry talking Severus into finally asking for directions, more cursing, and more getting lost, the pair finally managed to find the high school, where they could track down the teen Werewolf. It was built like a Muggle facility and held classes in not only magic, but also some Muggle courses that Hogwarts didn't offer, like art, foreign languages, drama, even cooking. Harry was impressed by the wide variety in courses offered.

"Why don't they offer classes like these at Hogwarts?" Harry asked Severus as he looked over Keane's class schedule. They had had to steal it from the secretary in the office after she refused to just give it to them, explaining that only family members could see Keane's private file. Harry had turned himself invisible and snuck past her to the computer, located the file and printed out Keane's address and class schedule while Severus provided a distraction.

"Some of the more Muggle ones, like the computer courses, wouldn't work because the magical aura around Hogwarts is too strong and disrupts electrical items. Others that are considered too Muggle were not approved by the school board, which just so happens to be made up of almost entirely purebloods. The curriculum at Hogwarts is mostly designed by and for wizard-raised children. I think it could do with a little reconstruction, myself."

Harry nodded in agreement. "A lot of the stuff taught at Hogwarts is really kind of ridiculous anyways. I mean, come on, my Charms OWL was making a pineapple tap-dance." He made a face. "What the hell kind of use is that going to be in the real world? And don't even get me started on divination."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know. I'm glad I never bothered with that class. Also, many of the things on this school's curriculum are not on Hogwarts' simply because most pureblood children have private tutors to teach them such subjects at an early age, before they begin Hogwarts. More advanced studies are done during the summer holidays at home with a tutor. It's quite a shame actually. Even wizard-raised students are for the most part not from wealthy families; they can't afford private tutors for such things, so parents have to teach their children themselves. Since the number of purebloods has dwindled over the years, hopefully people will start to see sense about this sort of thing. But we're getting off topic. What class is he in right now?"

Harry glanced at a clock on the wall of one of the buildings, then scanned down the paper. "Let's see, it's 'sixth period' right now, so…he is currently in American Literature, room 307." They started walking over to a large building labeled 300 in large letters. While they walked, Harry frowned down at the schedule in his hands before looking up at Severus in confusion. "Their schedule is all weird. They have the same classes almost everyday, and there's so many each day! How do they keep up?"

"It's the American schedule. They have shorter consecutive class periods, the same order everyday."

"Yeah, but why?"

"Because Americans are strange like that. Supposedly the students remember the material better if they go over it every day than if they have each class only a few times a week for longer time periods. Does it really matter Harry?"

"No, I suppose not. We're here." Quietly Harry moved to look into the classroom through the window on the door when Severus pulled him back.

"Harry, hold on a moment. If you just stick your head in the door or start peeking through the window, either the students or the teacher are sure to notice. We aren't even supposed to be on campus without a guest pass. If we were to get caught, we could get arrested for this."

"So what do you intend to do, Severus? We can't leave without him with us."

"Look, Harry, all we need to do is make sure we've found him. We can see about talking to him after school lets out for the day. Class ends in about fifteen minutes, and this is the last class of the day, so all we have to do is make certain this is the right classroom, wait for school to end, and catch up to him before he heads home."

"Okay…" Harry said slowly, not following what Severus was trying to tell him.

"Use your gift," the Tourniquet said simply.

"Oh!" Harry smacked himself in the forehead with a hand, "Of course!"

He stopped talking and took hold of Severus' hand, concentrating hard before making both of them disappear.

Severus raised an invisible eyebrow. "Impressive. You're getting better."

"Thanks," came Harry's somewhat strained voice from somewhere to Severus' right, "But I don't know how much longer I can hold it, so let's hurry up."

Harry quickly stepped forward straight through the door to the classroom and turned them solid once more, though they remained invisible.

Clutching Severus' hand tightly to keep from losing him (as well as to help keep Severus invisible as well as himself) Harry walked further into the classroom, stepping in between the large tables situated around the room, groups of four to five students seated at each one. Severus hadn't been lying when he told Harry that the werewolf town had was rather diverse. There was a multitude of ethnicities and cultures, and many of the students were noticeably not human.

One such person was a tiny boy with wheat-gold hair tied back in a braid whose skin looked almost sparkly, with transparent, iridescent fairy-like wings coming out from the middle of his back. The girl next to him could have been mistaken for full human were it not for the fact that her hair and skin had a decidedly greenish tint to them; a sure mark of nymph blood. The teacher, a plump short woman with curling brown hair, paced around the room, the wolf in her noticeable agitated as her characteristic golden eyes darted here and there in the classroom. Harry eyed her nervously as her eyes suddenly seemed to fix on him. He knew she couldn't see him, but he was certain she sensed their presence in her classroom.

He looked around for a bit, wanting to find their quarry so they could leave already. The teacher's glowing eyes were making him nervous. He felt Severus nudge him gently and turned to face the Tourniquet. Since Harry himself was the one making them invisible, he could still see the other fine, save for a vague, bluish transparency about his mentor's slender body. The Elf followed the hand tugging him over to a table across the room, where three girls and one boy were sitting, taking turns reading out of their books.

The boy's back was turned, so they couldn't see his face, but Harry could immediately feel the same pull that Severus had when he set eyes on him. He knew immediately; this was Keane.

They moved around to the side of the table so they were facing the Werewolf teen. He was quite human compared to some of his classmates, seeming to be of a vague Hispanic parentage. A dark green t-shirt stretched across his lithe build under a black unzipped hoodie, and his black jeans were held up by a silver-studded belt. His short hair was spiked up with the tips colored crimson, whether naturally or by artificial means, Harry was unsure. Intelligent amber eyes were staring in boredom at a strip of paper he was busy folding into a sort of accordion shape, ignoring the obviously part-Veela girl next to him as she read aloud from the book. Keane paused a moment, a flicker of confusion passing through his eyes, and he looked up and glanced around the table.

Severus started slightly, causing his protégé to glance up at him. The Tourniquet gave him a sideways glance, then looked back at the young Werewolf who was sniffing the air around him curiously, a frown creasing his brow. Abruptly Severus turned, pulling Harry away from the table and back towards the hall. The Elf turned them incorporeal once again so they could pass through the wall.

As soon as they were back in the hallway and certain that the coast was clear, he let both the intangibility and the invisibility collapse, feeling his body follow shortly. Harry's limbs trembled from the relief as he drew his legs up and huddled against the wall. It had been difficult to maintain invisibility for both him and his Tourniquet for so long. Severus didn't let go of Harry's hand, but pulled him back up to his feet despite the Elf's groan and led him down the corridor, turning the corner before stopping and letting Harry lean against the wall. He put a hand on his charge's shoulder. "That was very good, Harry, you held it for several minutes, not to mention for both of us simultaneously. Are you alright?"

Harry nodded, breathing heavily as he sank to the floor again. "He could feel us nearby, did you notice?"

"Yes," Severus confirmed, looking back down the hall towards Keane's classroom. "I did notice. Harry, we'll have to be very careful how we go about this."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, bemused. Severus turned back around to face his charge, a serious expression on his face.

"Keane – he has a curious aura about him. I've never seen it's like before. I'm almost certain he is a full Werewolf, but even true Werewolves have other species blended into their genetic make-up. I can't seem to place what other Races' blood he has in him."

"So we'll need to be careful then," Harry said thoughtfully, "We don't know what sort of abilities he may have, or what his nature will be." He paced back and forth for a moment while he thought this over before stopping to look up at his Tourniquet. "Do you think he might be part-Elven?" Harry asked, his expression blank.

Severus shrugged. "It's possible, though I don't detect any of the Elven magical signature in his aura. If he is, it's probably extremely diluted blood, not enough to retain much of the magical or physical properties."

Harry nodded and looked up sharply when the bell rang for school to let out. He was barely able to magic his tail invisible and intangible in time, because almost immediately the hallway was swarming with students making a beeline for the exit. Severus and Harry pushed their way through the crowd back around the corner, just in time to watch Keane exit the classroom and head down the hall in the opposite direction, a dark blue backpack slung over his shoulders.

Hurriedly, they pushed their way along the sea of students, many of them eying the Elf and Tourniquet in bemusement as they sniffed the air. The Werewolf youths could tell that the two were neither Human nor Werewolf, nor any of the other Races they were used to seeing around the reserve, but they didn't recognize the scent.

With the students traffic jamming in the corridors, Harry and Severus quickly lost sight of their quarry, and probably would have lost each other were it not for the link between their minds and the vice like grip Harry had on Severus' hand. The dark-haired Elf simply ignored any odd looks directed at them because of this, while Severus just Death-glared. One such glance and immediately the students found something else to look at.

Finally the tidal wave of Werewolven teens pushed out of the doorways and dispersed into the open air. Harry let go of Severus' hand when they were no longer in any danger of losing one another, and the two stood still a moment, scanning the students spreading out across the campus for Keane.

After a moment, Harry tugged on Severus' sleeve to get the Tourniquets attention, pointing at a spiky-haired individual far off to their left. "There he is!" he said, and took off after the Werewolf, Severus following at a more sedate pace.

They followed Keane halfway across the campus, towards the schools mini-theater where the drama classes were held. He stopped by a row of lockers on the outside wall of the theater, crouching down and spinning the dial on the lock.

Harry made as though to approach him, but halted at the hand on his shoulder, glancing back at his mentor.

"Wait, Harry," he said softly, "Wait until he's left the school. It will be easier to catch him alone that way."

Harry gave a brief nod and looked back at the young Werewolf, who was rummaging around in his pack as he exchanged some of the items in the locker for the ones in the bag.

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Keane frowned as he gathered together the items he would need for his homework that weekend.

Something had been bothering him for the past week and a half. He didn't know what it was, it was just this nagging feeling, like he was forgetting something, or was supposed to be somewhere, but he couldn't figure out where. He had felt like this all week, but then just today it had gradually gotten stronger and stronger before coming to a climax in his last class.

Keane wasn't stupid. He could tell that this – _pulling sensation_ – was some sort of magic or enchantment. But he couldn't figure out _what_. It didn't feel malicious, but it still disturbed him. It was one of those strange, familiar-but-completely-foreign things. His brain hurt just thinking about it.

The Werewolf teen shut his locker, spinning the dial on the lock to reset it. Standing up, he stretched his legs up onto tip-toes to ease the cramps that were setting in from sitting in class so long before kneeling on the hard concrete to reach his locker on the bottom row. Keane zipped up his backpack and slung it back over his shoulder as he headed for the gates, the strange pulling sensation following him the whole way.

Just as he had gotten outside the school and was started down the street on his way home, he heard a voice calling after him. He stopped short and swayed on the spot. The voice was unfamiliar to him, but the pulling swelled suddenly, and he knew immediately he would have to find the owner of this voice.

He turned around to see two people approaching him. The first was a teenage boy with black hair that just brushed his shoulders. The other, standing a few feet behind the teen, was a tall hook-nosed man with equally dark hair swept back into a ponytail.

The Werewolf almost let his mouth drop open in shock. As soon as he laid eyes on them, he could tell that the Pull had been emanating from them. Why else would it have suddenly roared to life before quieting, becoming a soothing hum in the back of Keane's consciousness? The magic was no longer tugging at him, but instead wrapping him up in its warm embrace. It came from both of the two strangers, but especially from the youth with the glowing green eyes, who appeared to be only a few years older than him.

"Keane? Keane McCormick?" the black-haired teen said. He had a British accent, Keane noted vaguely as he felt the magic between them stir.

Keane swallowed, and suddenly everything went blank again. The magic seemed to just disappear, and everything seemed normal again. But the Werewolf knew it was still there, lying just below the surface.

"Yeah," he said calmly, "That's me."

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End Chapter 5

OH DEAR GODDESS THIS IS SUCH CRAP. But I really needed to tell you guys what my deal is and I didn't want to disappoint you (?) with a lack of actual story. So you get half of the shitty ass chapter I've been sitting on mostly done for the past two and a half years along with the explanation I owe you guys.

There are a multitude of reasons why I rarely update, so I'll just outline the major ones here, and if you want a full explanation as well as my full plan to get back on track, check out my profile for more details.

To start with, Harry Potter is by far no longer my favorite fandom anymore. I still enjoy it, but the rabid-fangirl passion has settled down, and my main focus both as a fan and as a writer has turned elsewhere.

Secondly, on top of college and all the lovely stress that brings, I also have a job. Possibly a second job coming up as well. This limits my free time by a considerable amount, and takes up a lot of energy.

And here is the biggest reason: one day, whilst trying to find some inspiration so I could finish the other half of this chapter,I went back and reread the first four chapters of The Gathering. Oh. My. GOD. What the HELL do you guys _see_ in that shit?? It makes me want to vomit from it's awfulness. It's so full of crappy clichés, out of characterness, and stupid and illogical character behaviors. I started this story when I was a 15-yr-old Harry Potter weeaboo, and it really shows. Yet of all my stories, this is the one that is the most popular. While I thank you for the support, I SERIOUSLY DON'T DESERVE IT, because, _DAMN. _No offense, but if you actually enjoyed this story, you either have a very strong stomach, or really horrible taste. Since it's my story, I can talk about it like that. XD

Later parts of the story and the fact that it has such a following are still nagging at my conscience and muse, so I won't abandon it. But the first two chapers at least need to die. Really badly. Also, I think I just bit off far more than I could chew with those super-long feature length chapters, which is why Gathering and some of the other stories fizzled out and died. I would end up getting stuck/bored/distracted by other stuff.

So here is the plan, my lovelies. I am going to rewrite chapters 1 and 2 (and probably edit the other chapters to fit) of The Gathering. I have a new story plan for the beginning that is more logical and in character; the new ones will also be markedly shorter and probably more frequent, and there will probably be more chapters. ON THAT NOTE!!! If anyone has any suggestions, requests, or ideas for how to fix The Gathering, I would be overjoyed to hear from you. For one thing, input and feedback from the readers feeds the muse and quite often triggers more writing on my part!

Again, my sincerest apologies for leaving you all hanging like this, and for any irritation I have caused you. I hope to hear back from you guys soon, and even more so I hope to see you again in the renewed chapters when they start coming along!

~Happycabbage


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